Pirates and Prisoners
by drakeara
Summary: A bit AU zutara. Set in season one when Zuko had our favourite water bender tied to a tree. But what if no one came and saved her? What if Zuko's patients wore thin and he decided to give Katara to the pirates? Violent, bloddy and rapie. FININSHED
1. Not All is as it Appears

A/N: another fic. Yes I'm sorry for not staying put. Piraty/Zutaraiee/Baiting story. Couldn't help myself. Please don't get too confused.

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Chapter one: Not All is as it Appears.

"Tell me where the Avatar is, Water peasant!" Ordered Zuko for the fifth or sixth time in a row. He was getting sick of this girls ignorance. He had tried everything; bribery, niceness, orders, threats. Everything! There were also the pirate constant demands that the girl was simply given to them. Growing bored, Zuko scowled at the peasant tied to the tree and snarled. "Fine, you can go off with the pirates." Her blue eyes snapped wider at him, then over to the pirates, then back at him.

"No!" she gasped as the pirates crept forward with a lustful glint in their eyes. He cut her loose and pushed her to the captain.

"Take her." he growled. The captain took a hold of her wrist, and dragged her back to his ship. Zuko suddenly noticed the scowl that one of his solders was giving him.

"Sir, do you have any idea of what you just did?" he asked. Zuko just snorted in reply. "Many of those men have been at sea longer than us, you highness, and wouldn't have much opportunity to gain female flesh..." Now Zuko felt slightly guilty, but he covered that up and returned to their ship.

Sitting curled up in a small, two bed room, Katara thought over her predicament. She was trapped in a pirate ship, in the sea an unable to contact her friends with an ENTIRE CREW OF MEN. A man she couldn't recognise opened the door and steeped into the room, staring at her lustfully. He pulled her to her feet and tried to kiss her. But before her could, a fist collided with his fuzzy cheek. Attached to said fist was a boy with messy cut hair in dark blue and chocolate brown hair. He was the same height as her and his clearly slim frame was buried beneath too big, ragged clothes. His feet were bear and dirty. Both Katara and the pirate looked up at him in shock, they didn't realise that he was in there.

"Ben', I didn't see you in here." said the pirate with a slightly questioning look.

"Go. Away. Claw." Snarled Ben' in a voice a little high pitched for a boy. He ran his fingers through his hair and sat down on the bed that he had sprung from. "Sorry about that, the men have been at sea for a long time. Who are you, anyways, and how did you end up with this lot?" Katara told the boy of her tale, of Zuko binding her to the tree and off it all.

Ben' was the cabin boy on the pirate ship. As well as the basic cabin boy duties of cleaning, helping the cook, removing the barnacles and checking ropes and supportive boards on the ship, he had grown a protective air over Katara. Just like Sokka, he wouldn't let any of the men so much as touch her, except he done it in a more discreet and friendly manor. With the few weeks that Katara had been on the ship, she began to see the grand intelligence that radiated from Ben's chocolate brown eyes. Yet something still didn't seem quite right about the wise boy, barely a few weeks younger than Katara herself.

They were out in the middle of the sea, miles away from any form of safety, when a pirate tried to get at the young water bender again. This time it was Captain Goonë. He told Katara to go and clean his cabin when Ben' was below deck trying to fix the broken brig. It had been destroyed by its last occupant. Naively, Katara followed him into his cabin, took the cloth and bucket, and began to scrub the floor. Luckily, someone warned Ben'. He ran up onto the deck and darted up towards the captain's cabin. With a forceful kick, he knocked open the door. Just in time to see Captain Goonë attempting to rip away Katara's already sea-damaged dress.

"Don't you lay a finger on her, Goonë!" He snarled, taking a step closer. The captain glared up at him and towered over him in challenge. Ben' puffed out his chest, a little more than most men could, Katara noticed, and growled at the captain. "I mean it, Goonë." At first Goonë laughed, but when he saw the sheer anger and senerity in the pools of chocolate that played as the young boys eyes, he stepped back from his challenge with a tut.

"Fine, Ben', I won't take the girl. But I promise you, I shall have her eventually!" Swore the captain. Ben' then took Katara's hand and dragged her from the cabin, back down to theirs. _Not if I can help it,_ thought Ben' as they left.

"Why did you trust him?!" Demanded Ben', angrily "You should know by now not to go into any room with another man on your own! Theses Men have been starved of female flesh for too long, they get desperate!" Katara looked up at him from her bunk with hurtful eyes

"…I stay in the same room as you though. On our own, at night." Pointed out Katara quietly, slightly frightened by the usually calm and happy boy's anger.

"Yeah. But. But I don't count!" Stammered Ben', sounding shocked.

"And why not?"

"Because I just don't. I have none of the same, crazy flesh needs of the crew!" Ben' snapped at her, but the instant he looked into her blue eyes, now filled with deep pools of sadness, he regretted getting angry at her. The rage flooded away. "I'm sorry, Katara. It's not your fault. It's Goonë's and its mine. I should have warned you before hand not to trust these men. I'm so very sorry." He put an arm over her shoulder and pulled her closer in a brotherly way. "When we get the chance, we'll escape, O.K?" Katara nodded. A plan was forming in the mind beneath the midnight blue hair.


	2. A Backfired Plan

Chapter two. A Backfired Plan

In the distance, Ben' could see an approaching boat. It was all falling into place. From what he knew, the great Dragon of The West was aboard the same boat as the dark Prince Zuko, and that he was related to him. Ben' knew that the retired general would never let a young lady be harmed and that if one called for help, he would send it or be their himself. Ben', last time they had been on land, had sent a message bird to the General with a secrete code hidden beneath. A code that and only be revealed in the steam of Ginseng tea. Ben' was clever like that. As he hade hoped, the boat was, true to tell, Fire Nation. The flag on the ship tolled him that.

"Captain!" He called down from the Crows nest. "A fire nation ship, approaching from the east!" The captain walled over to the port side of the deck below him and looked through a spy glass in search of the ship. He nodded up to him in thanks.

"Ready yourself men. Don't make us know as pirates!" Goonë ordered. The men hid everything that could possibly look pirate; the ship formed an innocent edge beneath him. Just like magic. His ship came closer, as it did, Ben' noticed something. Didn't the soldier that told him about the General say that the ship he had was quite small? This one was huge. Not only that, but it also wasn't alone was the old fighter had said.

"Sir, it's got company!" warned Ben'

"Okay, Ben'. Just act unsuspicious and we'll be fine." Replied Goonë flatly. Ben' hated it when he used that tone with him. He grunted from his post and said no more.

Little did young Ben' realise that the wrong person had got his message. The crew of the Black Falcon was a highly wanted in most of the nations. Luckily, very few knew their face, only knowing the description of the boat that was written in the note. The person who received the note wasn't general Iroh, not General Iroh at all. The larger ship docked up onto the Black Falcon, and a man with huge side burns walked onto the plank that now connected the two ships together.

"Greetings, sir. What is it that brings you to our ship?" Greeted Goonë in an uncharacteristically friendly manner. The admiral turned to the captain and blasted him in the stomach with a blast of fire.

"This." He growled darkly and sinisterly. His men pounced off of the other ship and attacked the pirates of the Black Falcon. The pirates were not benders, and were unable to defend themselves against the fire benders under that admiral control. Katara came up on the deck in curiosity and came face-to-face with the admiral she knew only too well.

"Zhou!" She exclaimed quietly. _She must be the girl. _Zhou picked the girl up and put her, kicking and screaming on her shoulder. _Now where is the boy…_He didn't have to look long. A boy in a long sleeved shirt slid down from the crows nest and stood angrily before him.

"Detain this boy. We'll take these two onto the ship." Ordered Zhou. Two men came from behind Ben' and grabbed his wrists. Ben' tried to escape, but it was no use. As he was dragged backwards onto the ship he saw his entire crew dead. That mad him stop struggling. Ben' turned his head away, holding back silent tears.

Never in his entire life had Ben' felt guiltier than he did then. He and Katara were hanging from an alien ship by their wrists, no chance of rescue, his entire crew were dead, Katara was in the hands of a barbaric murderous man and it was all his fault. He couldn't look at her.

"…Ben'?" She called softly, "Its O.K, Ben'. You couldn't have stopped this." Ben' looked up to her with the tiniest tang of hope in his eyes. A man the barged in with a whip in his huge hands. Both Ben' and Katara's eyes widened.

"Don't you hurt her!" Snarled Ben' desperately.

"Oh, don't worry, boy. I'd never order a lady to be whipped with no cause." Ben's eyes narrowed as Zhou walked in to the room. The whip suddenly cracked across his back and Ben' roared in agony. The whip hit again and again. Causing more pain and blood from Ben'. After the whip hit for the twentieth time, Zhou ordered him to stop. He grabbed the middle of Ben's shirt and tore it away with ease. "You're…You're a girl?!" Stammered Zhou, his eyes locked onto her small, exposed chest. She didn't wear a chest wrap like Katara. Ben' looked away in disgust and anger. Zhou then stormed off and the man with the whip scampered behind him.

"Why didn't you tell me?" asked Katara, ever so slight annoyance was clear in her voice. "Ben'!" She snapped when she didn't reply "Is that even your real name?" Ben' looked over to Katara; her brown eyes brimmed with tears and guilt.

"My proper name is Beniko." She replied eventually.

"Did they know?"

"Yes… My mother stumbled onto our boat when she was pregnant with me. She was dieing after a Fire Bender attacked her and my father. Goonë promised her that he would bring me up as he would have his own children. He protected me, taught me, and raised me like a pirate. Like a boy. He wasn't ever quite sure how a lady should act." Beniko smiled sadly, looking away in memory for a moment. "The only outsider who ever knew before you was another woman who they got one of Goonë's, um, lady friends to teach me all of the, you know, girl stuff. The men were never quite the appropriate teachers for that." Katara smiled at her with the same sadness. Soon after their conversation, a man came and unlocked them from their shackles and gave Beniko a shirt. When he left, Ben' turned to Katara and smiled at her with a sly glimmer in her chocolate eyes. The sheer look told her that Beniko had a plan.

Curling in a slight ball, Beniko started to cough loudly. The guard looked in as grunted something that somewhat sounded like he was asking if she wanted some water. Ben' nodded, still coughing madly. He came back a moment later with a small cup of water. He foolishly passed it to her through the bars of the cage and returned to his post. Whist his back was turned, Katara bended the water out of the cup and danced it towards the soldier. It squeezed into a pressure point that Ben' had pointed out to her, and he collapsed to the floor unconscious. Ben' knew by the odd scent wafting into the cell that they were close to a secrete island in the possession of the pirates. She pulled the guard closer until he was close enough for her to take the keys and snached them away. She opened the brig cell with ease and slipped out with Katara close behind. Before they left, they dragged his body into the cell and locked him in there. A risky move, but worth it.

The two girls slipped out of the lower decks and into the shade of the safe night. When they came to the edge of the boat, they could see an island in the distance.

"That's the one." Whispered Ben' into Katara's ear. It was in the swimming distance of a strong swimmer like Beniko. She scrabbled up on to the side of the boat, and indicated for Katara to do the same. When they were both there and ready, they dove down into the cold water and swam as fast as they could towards the distant island. _Swim Katara, Swim Katara, Swim Katara,_ She could hear Ben's voice telling her in her head. Just in front of her, Ben was swimming strongly and quickly. When they got there, the girls struggled up onto the cool sand of the beach and towards the woods beyond it. They came to the first huge, thick tree and Ben bounced to grasp on the first branch. She pulled herself up with some ease then swung down a little, hanging upside down on the branch by her knees and offered a hand to Katara. She took it and Beniko swung her up into the tree with an edge of elegance. The duo clambered up the tree and hid in its warm braches till the ship was gone.

When Katara woke the next morning, her stomach growled. Ben' had already woken up and climbed out of the tree. Katara followed her down and began to watch her vanish into the trees.

"Ben'?" She called. Ben turned around and smiled with a wave. She then continued with her miniature search, a look of ridicules concentration was painted on her face. Katara walked up to her and merely watched quietly. When Beniko found what she was after, her chocolate eyes lit up in a smile. She dusted a mat of leaves and twigs off of a wooden door in the ground, pulled it open by a hidden ring-pull and vanished into the darkness below. When she emerged, she was carrying a dozen odd shaped bottles in her strong arms. Inside of them was a swishing, coloured liquid. "What is that?" Asked Katara, scrunching up her nose. An even bigger grin spread over Beniko's face.

"This, my dear Katara, is rum."

Ben' and Katara sat on the edge of the beach over half a day later. They were quite a comical site. Both girls had drunk far more than the normal share of alcohol and were both giggling at almost nothing. That's quite an uncomforting site; drunk and hyperactive girls. A close yet passing boat caught the attention of the drunken duo. Ben' whispered something to Katara, who giggled at it, then cupped her hand around her mouth and yelled at the top of her voice;

"Hey! Check this out for a SOS beacon for ya!" Katara, who was just in her undergarments due to the drunken heat, pulled up her chest wraps and laughed loudly again. On the deck of the ship was Zuko, he was right near the edge of the ship. When he saw Katara's actions he blushed brightly, so much so that the two girls could see it. The laughed even louder at that. Zuko ordered the boat to be stopped and the two girls to be picked up. He however didn't know that the younger for the two was female. After a short trip on the smaller boats, Zuko walked proudly and boldly up onto the white sanded beach and stood tall on the beach. The two before him had momentarily halted the laughter.

"Where is the avatar!?" He demanded, not knowing what else to say. How were they supposed to know where the Avatar was? They were with pirates for at least a month. His question was bluntly ignored. Ben' suddenly stood up and wobbled.

"Hey, I wonder if you pull this, if makes a funny noise?" Asked Ben' loudly, her word blurred together. She grasped onto his hair and pulled down on it a little harder than expected. The banished prince cried out in pain and pulled his jet-black hair from her alcohol weakened grasp. The two looked at each other in an attempt to suppress giggles, but failed. They soon were laughing so hard that their lungs hurt. That moment of hilarity soon wore thin on them. Katara's attention was captured by a simple ant making its way back to its nest with a snippet of the dried fruits that the girls had been eating. Ben', however, took much more joy in killing the simplistic creature. She slammed her foot onto it, but soon was blasted with heat from the ant. It was a fire ant. She gasped out in shock and landed on her rear with an 'oomph'.

Wondering off of the boat behind his nephew was Iroh. He looked over at the girls, now laughing at the Fire Ant's burn left of the sole of the blue haired one of the duo, and knew something was up. Surrounding where the girls sat were a dozens of empty bottles in odd shaped and sizes. Rum bottles. The girls had been drinking, that's why they were acting up. Zuko, clearly, was irritated by the two's foolishness. Katara looked over at him and smiled. She attempted to get to her feet, but fell back down, both of them bursts into another fit of laughter. Blue eyes suddenly drooped and Katara felt sleepy. With a small grin, she fell back, fast asleep. The other ones actions then became calm very quickly.

"There is enough food in the storage cavern to restock your ship. If, that is, you are the famous Dragon of the West, sir." The child with short hair the colour of the midnight sky slightly bowed at Iroh from the kneeling position that they were in.

"That I am." Smiled Iroh. "Please call me Iroh, and what would you prefer to be known as?" Ben' told him of his shortened name and of how they had got there. Ben' also told them that he was taking the rum, whether they liked it or not. That got a small but hearty chuckle from Iroh.

"And may I suggest that you give Katara a comfortable bed. She'll need a lot of rest and tea. Unless you _want_ a young teenage woman with a killer migraine and a maddened attitude." Finished Ben' with a smirk. Zuko narrowed his golden eyes at his cockiness.

"And what about you?"

"I'll be fine. I've drunk more rum in my life than you've hat hot dinners. But from what I've herd, Iroh, you've had more tea than there is grains of sand on a beach." Iroh chuckled again. Ben' was a very witty person. Katara was picked up by Zuko gingerly as Ben' was lead on to the little ship, and took her onto it. Men went out after woods to empty the storage of the dead pirates' food and rum.

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A/N: And there, my desr revieweees, is where you see my cruel sence of humor. Yup, you have this oppertunity to kill me now. 


	3. Surviving Zuko

Chapter Three: Surviving Zuko.

This was turning out to be very difficult. Katara and Ben' were both locked in the brig of the prince's small ship (So _this_ is what a brig looked like on a _good _ship!). Ben' was pretty much infuriated by the way that her friend was being treated. A lady should be given a good room. Not be locked up in a cell. Even the pirates respected that! But why couldn't some pompous prince! Zuko had locked her up in there the instant they got back onto the ship and Katara when she was over her hangover enough. Thinking of the devil. Zuko stormed into the brig in typical Zuko fashion and unlocked the door of the cage that they were in. He was about to speak when a fist collided with his unscarred eye.

"That's for locking Katara up in a cage when she should be given a room and this…" She swung at him again hitting his jaw. "Is for giving a girl to a bunch of flesh hungry men. Because of that, my entire life fell apart!" A fight soon broke out fully between the two. Zuko wouldn't have fought Ben' if he knew that she was a girl. In the end, it took about six men to hold Beniko back from her ruthless anger, three on each of her partially muscular arms. Ben' stood befor the angry prince with dark anger in her chocolate eyes. Taking the fact that the foolish men forgot her legs to her own advantage, she swung her foot at him and it collided with the top of his knee. Katara jumped out in front of Ben', looking at her warningly, and told her:

"That's enough, Ben'. Calm down!" She then turned to the Fire Bender and took his hand, pulling him away from the ex-pirate and towards the open door. "Come on, Zuko. I'll help heal those bruises for you." Katara hated it when people fought like that. At least bending you could keep at a distance, and had more control over your emotions. The young, banished prince let Katara lead him away, all the while he continued to glare quietly at the over aggressive teen. Ben' was the left in the cage on her own. She slammed her fist on the cold steel of the wall and cried out in rage.

The two benders had been led to Zuko's room by him. They sat on his bed with a bowl of water on Katara's elegant lap. She had some of the water as a glove on her hand and she held it on the cuts and bruises that her saviour and friend had given him.

"Ben' is right, you know" Began Katara, looking up at him. "I should really be stuck in a cage. It's not that safe" _She's already proven that._ Zuko grunted at her lightly

"These men are trust worthy. They would never do evil things to a girl like you. Peasant or not." Katara thought about her reply for a moment.

"Yes, but Ben' thought that those pirates could be trusted, and they nearly… Well…" Her voice faded away. Boy did _that_ half make Zuko only feel guiltier about what he did. After a moment of quiet, he came up with an idea.

"None of the rooms would be free for you to occupy. You'll have to stay in here. It's one of the safest rooms for you. No one else but I go in here." He's one of the safest rooms for you. No one else but I go in here." He explained simply.

"Can't you just empty out one of the other rooms that Ben' and I could share?"

"No! You will stay in here! No wondering!" He ordered harshly. With that he jumped to his feet and stormed out of the room, locking the heavy door behind him. After a moment of initial shock Katara pounced to her feet after him and slammed her small fists on the heavy metal door. Who did he think he was to do this to her? And oh how it was getting more and more difficult.

Beniko, in the meantime, was sitting on one of the cots that took up a grand proportion of the tiny prison cell that she was in. She had taken up the deepest, darkest strop her irritable and aggressive personality could handle and she was going to stay like this until she knew that Katara was being treated well. At that moment, an elderly man with friendly, gold eyes and a strong smell of tea came into the brig. Ben' looked up at him in curiosity.

"Hello, young miss." He smiled brightly. How did he know that she was a girl? No one else had ever guessed that quickly! That is what she asked him. "I am very old now, miss, I've had enough experience to tell a pretty young lady from a young man." Ben' couldn't help but to smile and the 'Loveable, old crackpot', as she would describe him later on in life. She had never really considered herself a girly-girl, never mind a lady! "I you don't mind my curiosity, but is it so that you attacked my nephew?" It took a moment for Ben' to realise who this old man was talking about.

"Oh, Zuko. Yes I attacked him. He deserved it! Any fool knows not to give a maiden like Katara to a band of pirates. But he has only earned a tiny fragment of my wrath. There is on who has earned the full storm" The end of her sentence came out incredibly dark, her voice lowering an octave in her anger. "Oh, and call me Ben', short for Beniko, master…"

"Iroh" The old man smiled to her. It would be nice to talk to someone else for a change. Suddenly, after taking a sip of the sweet tea, Ben' asked a bold question.

"Where is Katara? I asked, well demanded, that Zuko gave her a good room. A lady like herself needs one." She tipped her head to the side and awaited a reply.

"In all truths, I am not entirely sure. I shall find out for you Ben'" Ben' thanked him with a nod then mumbled something under her breath that was clearly a threat to protect Katara.

Three days in the brig, no sunlight or chances to walk, was Ben's sentence. She had no idea that Katara was just as much a prisoner. The instant she was aloud out, she practically pounced out of the door and up onto the deck.

"Wind!" She explained happily and childishly. "Oh how I've missed you!" She was, of course, playing around. But it did feel damned good after those three days of being locked up. That was the longest time in her memory that she had been away from the outside world. After the biggest grin in ages, she decided to search for Katara. It wasn't that huge of ship, it couldn't be too had to find her. Could it? She had asked crew members to tell her where Katara was, but hardly any had seen her. At the moment that she stumbled onto the boiler room, she remembered where Iroh had said she was sleeping; maybe she still was in there now? With that, she took of on a different search. Finding the prince's room. Easier said than done. Everyone seemed to avoid answering the question, until she got _ever so slightly_ stressed at the thirtieth man who refused to answer the question and slammed him into the wall. It can be quite frightening when someone at least a head and a half shorter than yourself slams you into a cold, hard wall with enough force to break your back. That clearly showed in the face of the unknown soldier.

"Uh, it's this way." He pointed, unable to pull his gaze away from Ben's angry stare of the colour of chocolate. Ben' released him with an irritated grunt of appreciation and pushed him lightly in the direction of Zuko's room. Nervously, he swallowed as Ben' stormed darkly behind him. He knew that if he did show Ben' to Zuko's chambers, the young prince would be angry. An angry fire bender is not a force to reckon with. But on the other hand, the young person behind him seemed very strong for their height and age. He wouldn't want to be attacked by Ben' either. They came to a halt before another plane door, and the soldier cleared his thoughts nervously. "This is it." They knew that Zuko wasn't in there, he was up in the navigation room, and lots of people had told her that. Ben' thanked him with a grunt, and shooed him away with another. Ben' knocked on the door, on the other side, she heard Katara's voice.

"It's locked." Katara groaned on the other side. Not that that would stop Ben' She knelt down in front of the keyhole and studied it quickly. With a tut, she replied;

"It's only a simple lock; I could pick this in a minute!" Katara recognised her voice. She called out her name happily. Beniko pulled out from up her slightly loose sleeve, a metal stick with a slightly bent end. After a moment of silent fumbling, the lock clicked open. Ben' opened the door and leaned on it, one leg crossed behind the other and one hand on the handle, with a proud, smug grin on her face. Katara could have hugged her. "Come on, Katara. No need to stay locked up in his majesty's room forever." She called tauntingly. "It's a beautiful day. Perfect for sailing. Oh, yes that's right; this is a stupid stem engine!" Ben' finished with a slight huff. It may be bigger and better in all weathers, but she still considered it ugly. Katara then walked out of the room with her head held high.

"Hey, Katara? Did you's…You know…" Began Ben', daring not to ask properly.

"What? No! No, we didn't" Katara, being the smart girl that she is, quickly caught on to what Beniko was asking.

"Oh, well did you share a bed?" Katara simply blushed "You Did! Ha! You did, you did, you did!" Ben' was practically dancing in circles. "I'm sorry, its rude of me to be so crude about it…But I'm a pirate by nature, so I don't care." She was grinning ear to ear at Katara's embarrassment. It was funny in the eyes of the blue haired pirate. They were leaning on the side-rail of the ship, slightly hidden by the stairway door. The wind was making Katara's braid dance around. With a flick of the wrist, Katara created a snake of water from the sea. Ben' was amazed. "Wow, that's cool!"

"Thank you" Katara smiled at her newer friend. She then froze it as a spike from the water and dropped it back down before any of the crew noticed. But the girls didn't realise that they were being watched.

"I told you to stay in there!" Snarled Zuko, making his presence known. The two of them snapped around to face him.

"And who are you to tell her what to do Mr Force-young-ladies-to-either-sleep-in-a-cage-or-in-your-own-room?" Snapped Ben' standing tall.

"I am Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation, Hair to the throne!"

"_Oh, let me just get down on my knees and kiss the ground you walk on_!" Ben' replied with the most bitter of sarcasm. "Don't threat, we can't do anything or go anywhere. We may be good swimmers, but we aren't _that_ good to be able to swim the entire sea!" Whist she was saying that, she flung her arms around to emphasise her words. With an annoyed huff, he let them stay out, what was the worst that could happen?

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AN: Woo. Me est ebil to them! 


	4. Rat!

Chapter Four: Rat!

Great Gods! How board Beniko was getting. She hardly got to help with anything at all! Bluntly, she felt so useless now, and was becoming lazy. Totally not her style. She needed something to do other than watch the benders bend and drink tea with Iroh. Not even the fight practice with the older, more skilled men seemed to entertain Beniko for long. Oh, and what she would do for a sail right then. With its tall mast and a crows nest up the very top. The view is always amazing. It was kind of her getaway. It was missed dearly, but Beniko had found a new place to clime high to. It was on top of a tall tower. It had a roof over it, so Ben' had decided that as a good place to hide away at. For a while, no one knew that she was there, but one of the solders saw her climbing it one day, and told the others that that is where she liked to hide away at. Nobody else would ever come and join her though.

On that particular day, she wasn't up there, but strolling below the decks instead. She was either two or three floors below the deck when she heard it. A clearly feminine but muffled scream. Her ears pricked the instant she heard it. There were no other girls on the ship other than her and Katara. That meant only one thing. Ben' lengthened her stride and practically sprinted to the source of the scream. It came from behind a locked door belonging to some of the solders. Ben' scowled at it and quickly picked the lock with her lock pick. When she had undone it, she kicked open the door with an angry shout. Katara was tied down to one of the bed in the dank room. A man that Beniko didn't know was leaning onto her. Fear glistened in the sky blue eyes. Ben' tried to attack him, but he was too strong and quick. Before she realised it, he punched a jab to one of her nerves, causing her to collapse. He then picked her up over his broad shoulder and tied her to the other bed. Ben' swung empty treats and trashed at him, but it did no good. A tiny glint in his maroon eyes told her that he knew. That made her freeze up with a gasp.

Once he had fulfilled his lust for Katara's flesh, he turned to Beniko. Nothing Ben' could do would stop him. When he was done, he left them for his duties, leaving the girls tied to the beds. Katara was trying not to cry, being strong like Ben', but she didn't see that cruel glint of vengeance sparkling in her tomboy friends eye of chocolate. Ben' closed her eyes in concentration. In a whisper, she told Katara:

"It's Ok to cry, Katara, for soon he shall get his." Katara didn't quite know what Ben' meant by 'Get his'. But she stayed quiet all the same. With a loud roar, Ben' pulled up her arms and snapped the ropes on her wrists. Quickly she snapped up into a seating position and began to untie the bonds on her legs. An image flashed to her mind. It was what the rapist had said to her.

"_Don't you tell anyone. Or I will get you, they cannot stop me from getting you, no one can._" The more Beniko thought of him, the more she grew to recognise something about him. She shook those thoughts from her head and began to untie Katara.

"Ben', how did you just snap the ropes like that?" If anyone else had tried that, it would have broken their wrists. Ben' pulled back the long sleeve of her shirt. On her wrist was a cuff made of an unknown metal. It glinted in the minimal light and a small drizzle of blood showed at the bottom of it.

"Cuff shields. Always worn them, always will." Ben' told her with a light smile. Katara swung her now free legs over the edge of the messy bed and watched Ben' test the door. No one was on the other side. She cracked open the door and peered around. Abandoned, but not for long. Beniko of the Black Falcon grabbed Katara's wrist and ran out of the door.

"Oh no you don't!" Cried the nameless rat that had abducted them. He charged at them after coming around the corner at just the most ironic moment. Ben' increased her speed, practically dragging Katara along with her. They skidded around the corner and came to an abrupt halt. It was a dead end. Above them, fortunately, was a air vent. Beniko gave Katara a leg up and whispered to her:

"Go and find Zuko. You've got to get away from here, don't come back down, for anything." Ben' gave her a stern look that told her to obey, if only just this once. Katara backed up slightly so that the shadows covered her.

The pursuer slowed down when he saw Ben'. He walked calmly towards her with a sinister grin on his face.

"Well, well, well. Did the little lady think she could escape me. There is no use, poppet." He smirked. Ben' put her fists up and spread low in a fighting stance. He just laughed at her. "Do you think, you can fight me? Your just a kid" Her unmoved expression told him that she could and would. Again he laughed. "Fine Kid, just fine." He stepped closer to Ben' and spread out in a stance himself. After a moment of standing each other down, Ben' charged at him. She struck a blow on his chin and aimed another at his torso. He blocked it and tried to kick her, but Beniko jumped away from him. Ben' jumped up and tried to kick him in the chest, but he blasted a flair of fire into Ben's foot. She cried out in pain, but still continued to fight. A few good punches and flaming hits later, Katara couldn't watch any more. Reluctantly, she scrabbled backwards and away from the horrifyingly unfair match.

After crawling through the air vents it was no wonder that Katara looked a mess. She scrabbled out of a vent guard that led on to the deck and darted towards the door to the Navigation room. _Please be in there, Please be in there, please be in there._ She repeated in her head as she did. Her wishes were answered. Zuko was in there. When he saw the state of her, he looked up in confusion.

"Katara? What happened?" Her breaths were short and shallow. She told him of what had just happened before braking down to tears. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and told her: "I won't let him do anything more wrong. We'll go and arrest him right now." Katara looked up from her hands and smiled at him sadly.

"Thank you" She whispered.

Beniko wasn't doing to well. She was burned in more places she dared to think, and her energy was wearing thin. She was bloodied, bruised and loosing. The man punched her chin and she fell to the floor. She struggled up to all fours when he kicked her in the stomach. With a grunt, she rolled towards the wall. He grabbed the scruff of Beniko's neck and pulled her to her feet. A flame appeared in his other fist.

"Goodbye, brat. No more trouble from you. Shame to lose such a wonderful body." His brown eyes skimmed her from lustfully.

"Not so fast, Tasper!" Snarled a voice from behind him. Ben' looked over the mans shoulder at the same time as he looked behind him. With her one good eye she could bluruily see the young prince. _Thank all the gods for Katara and him_. Thought Beniko. Tasper let go of her and she drooped to her knees. He was detained by several guards and dragged to the brig. Katara was soon kneeling beside Ben'. She smiled up to the young bender and pulled herself to her feet.

"Come on Katara" She croaked "We better get you back to your, er, Zuko's room. You've been through a lot today." The last part she said with a brotherly smile.

* * *

A/N: O.K This is kinda takin' for ever. Oh, Who can guess how I came out with Taspers name,

Yee to Zuzu!


	5. Dedication and Complication

Chapter Five: Dedication and Complication.

It was really late when Iroh had insisted that Zuko should go to bed. Ben' was watching over Katara, just to make sure she was ok, she had been through quite a lot. Beniko probably needed some time to recover too, but she had insisted that she stay with Katara. Guarding her and making sure that she didn't get hurt again. He stopped for a moment when he got to his door. Beniko of the Black Falcon was nowhere in site, so he presumed that she was inside. But in there was quite. He gently opened thee door and peered inside. Katara was laying on the bed on her side, facing the door, just at hip-level to her, Ben' sat on a stool, one arm was looped on the bed, acting as a pillow for her head, and the other brushed the floor, clenched in a tight fist. Both girls were fast asleep and had matching expressions, a look that seemed to combine anger, fear and pain. Zuko walked around to the other side of the bed and slid up against Katara, soothing her just a little. He fell asleep quicker than he realised it, wondering what these two girls were dreaming about

_**They were in a forest, they had never seen it in their life, but it didn't matter for they were Running.**_

"_**Faster, Come on, Katara! R the monster will catch us!" Cried Ben'. They were both little kids again. Even though Katara and Ben' didn't know each other when they were little, she still knew that it was Ben' just in front of her. Ben' hair was shorter, and she had the old shirt on, but her feet were still bare and his skin a very light tan. "We can't let the monster get us!" Katara started to look behind her when Ben' suddenly cried out. "Don't look back!" But it was too late. Behind them was a huge man. His hair was black, long and the top was pulled away from his face into a topknot. He had a black moustache and a small beard surrounding a sinister grin. His robes were expensive and seemed untouched by the dirt that covered them. A glint of gold from the top of his head caught Katara's eyes. It was a gold flame, the insignia of the fire nation. Katara suddenly recognised him. Fire Lord Ozai. She gasped and tried to turn, but she couldn't. The world around them started to decay. Beniko, thinking quickly, covered Katara's eyes. **_

_**When she removed them, the fire lord was gone and so was the forest. They now stood on Ben's ship, in the middle of the sea. It was still and quiet. Both girls were now back to the age when they first met. A sudden noxious smell filled the air Katara gagged on the smell, but Ben was looking else where. She tapped on Katara's shoulder and pointed behind her. Katara turned slowly and was nearly sick. There was, in the middle of the ship, a huge pile of rotting, burnt carcases. The crew of the Black Falcon. Suddenly, one of them groaned and moved, slipping off the pile and got to its feet. He walked towards them Dragging its feet and looking distant. Beniko screamed, it was the first time Katara had ever seen her that frightened. More of the bodies started coming to life and prowling towards them. The girls huddled together in fear. **_

_**"**_**Yooooooou killed ussssssss, Ben'. Yooooooou killed ussssssss, Ben'. Yooooooou killed ussssssss, Ben'." **_**They repeated over and over again.**__**Ben' was almost in tears, she was so frightened. As the zombies crawled closer and brushed against them, the ship and zombies vanished. **_

_**They were now in a white space, nothing else was there but Beniko and Katara. They were now about twenty five. Ben's hair was styled in an exaggerated worriors wolf tail and wore Southern Water tribe clothing, males, of course. Katara was in a red a blue robe. It was beautiful. Her hair was in a higher braid and something stuck out of the top of it. They couldn't quite see what it was. **_

_**"Hello, Beniko, hello Katara." Said two voices in unison. The two girls looked up in the direction of the voices. Two women were walking towards them. One woman had the same blue hair and tanned skin as Ben' and the other was someone Katara knew all to well. IT was her mother. Katara tried to run towards her, but she was stopped by her mother. "We cannot touch, I'm afraid Katara."**_

_**"Who are you, and how do you know my name?" Demanded Ben', standing tall in her boots.**_

_**"I am your mother, Ben', Goddess of the Night." Beniko's eyes widened. Didn't that make her a Demi-goddess?**_

_**"No, this isn't true" But it was, Beniko, daughter of the Night, stood back in shock this was too weird.**_

Knowing what his Nephew was like, Iroh decided to check up on the three of them. The door was still wide open. He walked up to Ben' and Katara, placing a gentle hand on there hands. Katara relaxed slightly more whilst Ben's eyes shot open. At first, she just stared ahead in thought, but then her eyes darted up to meet his. She sat up and rubbed her eyes with the back of her arm, in the manor of a child.

"Musta dosed off" She muttered sleepily. She got to her feet and stretched. After that, her eyes fell onto the two in the bed, she smiled elegantly "They look cute together" Iroh nodded in agreement. Too bad they were on opposite sides. "It's too bad that rat stole her innocence, I'm sure I know who she would have wanted to give it to." The girl was bright. Iroh then led her out of their room and took her to the dining room. A pot of tea was already set up, so the retired general quickly heated it up and poured her out a cup. "Iroh? Do you think dreams mean anything?" He looked up to her face in though.

"Depends on what it is about." Ben' then told of her dream, but Iroh didn't know anymore than she did. When Iroh went off to bed, Ben' told him that she would stay behind to clear up. She didn't go to bed that night, or the next night. Or the next few nights after that.

It had been a whole week since the incident involving Tasper. It was midday and a very beautiful on as that. Beniko was sitting on the side of the ship in thought. She still had some of the marks from the fight, being that she refused to let Katara, or anyone, sort out her wounds. Katara was standing on the opposite side to her, looking at her worriedly. Beniko had lost a little weight and had greyed out a little. Deep bags were visible under her chocolate eyes. Katara wasn't sure what was wrong with her, but she didn't like it in the slightest. Beniko suddenly stood up on the edge of the boat and looked at Katara. Her eyes were still haunted by the dream and experience. They suddenly glazed over and she passed out, falling off of the ship. Her head crashed into the edge and she began to vanish into the depths. Katara screamed loudly and ran to where Ben' just was. She desperately bended the water, hoping for any tiny sign of Beniko. There, was that a glint of her steel cuffs? IT was! She bended a wave up, it had the unconscious Ben' in it. Her blue haired head was lolling out of the wave. Katara moved the wave of water onto the ship, dropped Ben' onto the deck and bended the water back into the sea. She then rolled her onto her back and bended the sea from her open mouth. Beniko groaned as she came too. The bump of her head was bleeding quite a lot and she was still barely awake. She pushed herself into a sitting position, but groaned with dizziness. The whole world was spinning.

"'Tara?" She croaked, " Wha' 'appen'd?" She could barely speak properly. She laid back down with another groan. Her head felt like it was made of iron, and was being stepped on by a giant at the same time. Her hand went up to the gash above her right eye. The blood felt warm and sticky against her fingers. Katara moved to heal it, but Ben' just shook her away. "Save it for sumun o needs it" Her speech was worse than when she was drunk.

"Come on, Ben', we better get you down to th medical room so it can at least be bandaged." She slips her slender arm around the shoulder of her friend and helps her to her feet. Ben' nods gingerly and puts her arm around Katara.

Zuko had heard Katara's scream and he ran right for the top deck. The problem was that he was right below the decks at that point, so it took him a while to get up. He skidded on to the deck and scowled. No Katara. He grabbed the scruff of one of the younger guards and pulled him into his face.

"Where is Katara!" He demanded. The solder was frightened.

"M-m-m-medic's room" He stuttered. Zuko shoved the poor boy away from him and ran at full stride towards the medic bay. He barged it to the room and stopped dead it his tracks. Katara was in there, sitting right next to the blue haired girl. She looked perfectly fine, just slightly annoyed at his sudden entrance and worried at the same time.

"Katara?" He asked, not knowing fully what to say.

"I'm fine Zuko, it was Ben' who fell." Smiled Katara. She had a lovely smile

"Fell?" The banished prince didn't quite know what she meant

"Offa the side of the ship" Ben' cringed slightly at her own stupidity. A white bandage was wrapped around her forehead, blood was already staining. "'s how I hit my 'ead" Her speech was still a little off. "Not 'ad the besta luck lately, 'av I?" Katara shook her head, smiling all the while. Zuko half scowled at Katara

"You had me worried when you screamed, I thought someone hurt you!"

"Aww, Zuzu gettin' all worried 'bout little KittiKat." Zuko glared at her, how had she found out about that nickname? Beniko's eyes suddenly glazed over, and she slumped forward a little. Katara scrunched up her eyes a little.

"Why does she keep doing that? It's the third time that she's blanked out now!" Katara thought out loud. Zuko merely shrugged as Katara stood up from the bed she was sitting on and looped her friend's legs up onto the bed. The instant she did, Ben' fell down into a deep sleep.

* * *

A/N: Weee! I got a dream sequence in it!

And now that that stroke of randomness is in it I can be happy happy/goofy face


	6. Young Love

Chapter 6: Young Love

It was one clear thing that Beniko noticed in Katara: She just didn't have any childish notions. After Katara's mother died, she prematurely took up the motherly role in her household. She lost her childhood too soon. But even though Ben' was forced to be mature herself on her old ship, she still had immature notions. With the hope that it would give Katara back just a little childhood, Beniko started to plot again.

"Hey, Katara. Do you want to play a game?" asked Ben' one boring evening. "Just a little trick on grump-guts!" When ever Ben' said grumpy-guts she always meant Zuko.

"What kind of game?" Katara replied. A sly smile spread over Ben's round face.

"A little game I like to play called 'Hiding from the Prince'" It was Katara's turn to grin now.

"I think I might like this game." The idea of the game was to get away from said prince without letting him see you. They could go anywhere in the ship, but as long as Zuko didn't catch them, they'll be 'safe'.

Ben' peered out of the door and looked both ways. She gave a 'thumbs up' to Katara and slipped into the shadows. Katara imitated her. They slipped along the corridor away from Zuko's room in the shadows, hiding behind obstacles whenever they could; whether they where doors, crates or just shadows. Ben' looked u onto the deck first.

"Zuko's up there. Training I think. When I give the signal, we run to those crates. 'K?" Beniko whispered, grabbing hold of Katara's wrist. The Water Bender nodded to her and readied herself to run. When Zuko turned, Ben' practically flew up. "Now!" She whispered loudly. The duo sprang towards a cluster of crates and crouched down. As if on cue, Zuko turned to see what made the noise. Nothing was there.

"I have to bring Katara her food now." He told his sparring partner. They bowed to him as the Banished Prince left. Captain Jee was no fool; he saw Ben' and Katara's little flight or freedom, but told nothing to Zuko. Calmly, he walked over to the crates and leaned over the edge.

"What are you two up to?" he asked, almost sarcastically. The two of them jumped comically at the sound of his voice.

"Playing a game." Ben' smiled up to him.

"Remind me again how old you are"

"14" They both said with a smile. Jee rolled his eyes

"Well you better run again, Zuko's coming back up and he looks angry." They squeaked again and slipped around the corner. He had no idea where they were going to go from there, but he did know that he was going to have to cover for them if they had any chance of carrying on with their game.

Soon they found themselves beck below the decks, they skidded around the corner and came to a halt. A sign told them that they were running right for the brig. Ben' pulled Katara in another direction, heading down another flight of stairs. Heading towards the boiler room. They darted into the large, warm room and dived behind the nearest thing right for the two of them to hide behind. Before they went down, Beniko pressed her finger on her lips to the other men in the room. They just shrugged at her sly grin and continued to work. Zuko stormed into the room looking irritated and dark.

"Where are they?" He demanded. "I know I heard them come in here!" Suddenly a light wisp of red fabric behind a crate caught his attention. He crept closer and dived at the girls' way out. "Now I have you!" Both girls squealed delightfully and pounced over the crate. Zuko was soon on hot pursuit. He let out a bold laugh and darted faster after them. They darted out onto the deck and began to scrabble up the watch tower. Zuko was soon climbing up after them. Beniko and Katara scrabbled up onto the roof and backed away from the ladder as Zuko climbed up. "What are you doing? You've been running from me for ages."

"Playing a game. And you're 'It'!" Katara cried out. She tapped him on the shoulder and darted down the ladder with Ben' right by. Zuko laughed again and slid down after them. Yet again they were darting across the deck. Beniko suddenly tripped up and landed heavily on her stomach. Zuko darted past her so fast that her midnight blue hair moved like the wind had just blasted it. After a moment of initial shock, Ben' bounced back to her feet and followed after at a jogging pace.

Katara was running at full speed through twisting corridors and flying down flights of stairs like she had wings on her feet. Long ago she realised that Ben' had fallen slightly behind. Just to be sure where her friend was, she glanced over her shoulder and let out a squeal combined with a gasp. Zuko was closer than she thought with a smug grin on his hansom face. Wait, when did she start calling Zuko hansom? Mind, he was quite. Katara suddenly found herself facing a dead end. She slammed her feet together but still crashed painlessly into the steel wall. Zuko had slowed down slightly a moment before, knowing that she was leading them right into a dead-end. He walked now proudly up to Katara. He was barley a foot away from her. The young water bender tried to go left of him, but he grabbed that wrist. When she tried to pull he hand from his grasp he grabbed her right wrist and pinned her to the wall. Their bodies were comfortably close. But Zuko still leant slightly towards her.

"Got you." He whispered seductively. He then leant even closer to her parted lips; they were barley a hairs width apart. A sudden loud laughter separated them with a bold blush on each of their faces. It was Ben' who was rolling on the floor, roaring and snorting with the funniness that her dirty mind had formed. Being that she was raised by pirates, she had developed that kind of sense of humour.

It took the best part of a week for Ben' to stop laughing every time she saw to two together.

One beautiful evening when Ben' was in an fighting contest with the crew (and winning, by the way) Zuko saw Katara leaning on the side of the deck, looking wilfully out into the vast sea. He walked over and stood beside her.

"It's beautiful ,isn't it?" She smiled out at the starlit sea. Zuko grunted lightly in agreement, but he wasn't looking at the sea. He placed his hand over hers. She looked surprised up into his golden eyes, but didn't move that hand. He suddenly cupped his hand under her chin and smirked into her beautiful blue eyes.

"Hm, yeah, beautiful." He muttered. Katara was lost deep in his amber eyes. Gently he leaned forward and stole a kiss from her. Katara moved her free hand around the back of his neck and deepened the kiss. No one disturbed this one. Zuko's arms were wrapped around her hips when the finally pulled away from the kiss. Her first, proper kiss. Katara was gasping for air when Zuko whispered something private in her ear. She blushed first, and then smiled up at him. With that as a signal, he swept her up into his arms and carried her back to their room in bridal style.

Ben' was wondering around the ship the next moring on 'Wake up the Prince' duty. A duty that she had grown to love, especially when he over slept. Mainly she just go and shout 'breakfast Zuko' through the door, but some days she go and jump him. Ah, how she loved it! She was currently singing a private little song to her self.

"Gonna wake Prince Grumpy-Guts. Gonna really annoy him. Gonna wake Prince Grumpy-Guts and make him ju-ump!" She sang loudly and childishly. She gently pushed open the plain door and checked around the corner. With a silent gasp, she slipped her head back out and slammed the door shut behind her. Ben' leant beck on it, her heart thumping in her cheat, as she thought over the sight she just saw. Prince Zuko and Katara were both huddled together in the bed, still fast asleep, and both butt naked. At that moment, Iroh came wondering down from the opposite direction to where she came from. She was, at that time, leaning against the opposite wall. He reached to open the door, but Beniko skidded in his way. With a bright blush and silly grin she told him: "Um, I don't think you want to go in there. Eh-he" Her arms were spread wide across the door and her legs were bent so that all her weight was pinned against it.

"And why not, miss Ben'"

"Just trust me Iroh." Iroh just shook his head.

"Well I was just going to invite Zuko and Katara for some tea with me, perhaps a game of Pai Sho, but if you wish me not to them, who will join me?"

"Why don't I join you?" She smiled boldly at him from that same position.

* * *

A/N: I love embarrasing my characters, and other peoples charries, and non-existant charries.

And that was generally evil of Ben' wasn't it? Laughing at them like that and totally killing the mood. Betcha thought they'd not getta kiss afta that! Make me happy, sent your 'views

Edit: Oh, and I'm doing a Q&A on Ben' and the other OC's, I'll answer them in first or third person if you want. It'll be hosed on Livejornal mainly, just title each comment as Question for...and put then name of the character you want to question here.

http // drakeara. livejournal. com/ um just remeber to remove the spaces.


	7. And What Became of Aang and Sokka?

Chapter 7: And What Became of Aang and Sokka?

It was early morning when Sokka awoke and what was the first thing he notices? No breakfast. He sat up and looked around at their measly campsite. Appa was half asleep on the edge of the smallish clearing. Katara's sleeping bag was set up and partially open. It was empty.

"Katara?" He called out groggily. No reply came. "Katara!" Where was she? The young warrior sprung to his feet, sleep long forgotten, and shook Aang awake. "Aang, Aang! Katara's gone!" Aang sat up a little, and tried to bat Sokka away.

"Maybe she's just gone to practice." Aang suggested sleepily.

"No. She'd be back by now." Argued Sokka, looking worried. "Aang, we have to find her, she migth be in danger." He let go of Aang so that the pre-teen avatar could get to his feet. He then reached for his bag and tipped it out. "Look, she took the scroll. She must have gone off to practice when something happened. That's why she isn't back yet." Aang just gave him a look as if to ask if he was certain, but Sokka just cried out in protective frustration, and jumped to his feet in a half. He stormed down the narrow dirt path to the river edge, muttering under his breath and disturbing the wildlife around him.

Sokka was shocked. His sister clearly wasn't there, but she had been. There were scuffed and partially destroyed footprints that showed signs of a rough struggle. There were footprints from the shoes of a fire solder and bare feet too. He even saw, mostly around a tree with rope dropped at the bottom of it, inprints from Katara's boots.

"Katara." He whispered as he worked out what happened. The teenage warrior followed the dragged life of footsteps from the tree to the bank of the river. The mark of a docked boat was left there. "No!" The Fire scum had taken her! "Zuko!" He roared into the sky, with even greater anger, he turned on his heels and charged back to Aang.

"He's taken her!" He informed Aang with pure malice in his still breaking voice.

"Who?" Aang asked nievely.

"The Angry Jerk, Zuko. Thats who. Zuko has stolen my sister!" Sokka practically roared at the avatar. Aang was still innocent minded and confused. Why would Zuko abduct Katara? What good could she possibly do for him? Realisation suddenly hit him. Bait. He was using Katara as bait to get him to come, and then Zuko would capture Aang. He couldn't let that happen. "What are we going to do?" Sokka was panicking, but Aang was forming a plan.

"We carry on with the goal. We cannot go and get Katara ourselves, or he'll just catch us. That's what he wants." Aang told him hastily. This, at first, angered Sokka, but as he thought of what he said, he calmed down.

"Then who is going to help Katara?"

"I have a small idea..."

The Kyoshi warriors were training in the dojo when the Avatar returned on his flying bison, automatically Suki sensed something was wrong. She smiled, and bowed to Aang as he slid off of Appa's saddle, he mirrored her gesture. As Sokka slid off of the sky bison's back, she ran up to him and hugged him.

"Good to see you, Sokka." She grinned as she released him from the hug. Sokka gave her a weak smile. "Where's Katara?" His smile fell. He looked into her dark blue eyes with a pleading and solemn expression.

"Katara has gone missing. We think that Prince Zuko took her. We think that he is trying to use her as bait to capture Aang." He explained darkly. "I came here to ask for your help. We need you girls." It was unusual for him to be asking for a girls help in a situation like this, but she was a warrior, and a good one at that.

"Please, you and just a few of the Kyoshi warriors need to come with us. We can't think of anyone better." Aang pleaded with desperation in his grey eyes. The female warrior looked at the young avatar and nodded.

"What's the plan?" She asked in her most formal

* * *

A/N: Just a little one, but important. Well, you'll see later.

Oh and the Q&A on Ben' is still open, please state if you are asking to her direct, or me on her.

On deviantart or livejournal, I'll submit all of the asked question and who asked them with an answer. It'll be updated as they are asked. Ok?

I must ask, do you want me to kill Ben' at the end of the fic, give her a super-duper-luved-up ending, or ending in another way?


	8. The Spa

Chapter 7: The Spa

Katara had lost count of the number of days that she had been trapped on a boat. Her clothes needed repairing or replacing and she really needed to stretch her legs. Ben', although she had been at sea all of her life, totally agreed. When land was reported in sight, Katara decided to beg Zuko to let them dock there, if just for a day.

"No!" Snapped Zuko, who was getting irritated by Katara's endless pleading.

"Please, Zuko? I really need to get new clothes. We won't run. I promise. Water Benders word." Begged Katara. Zuko rolled his golden eyes with a growl.

"If I let you, will you shut up and stop bugging me?" Katara nodded quickly. "Fine, I'll tell Jee that we're changing course." Katara squealed out in joy.

"Oh, thank you, Zuko!" She jumped onto him and hugged him tightly. Zuko pushed her away playfully and gently. With a happy cry, Katara ran off to Agni knows where leaving a light smile on the Banished Princes face.

Katara squealed out loudly again at her friend in excitement.

"See, I told you the begging would work eventually. Kitty-Kat –Or should I call you Mrs. Grumpy-Guts-" Ben' smoothly told her. Katara blushed at the newer nickname. Everyone now seemed to know about her and Zuko's relationship. "When I was back with my men, I always pulled out the old puppy-piglet eyes and they'd do anything!" Katara smiled at Beniko's memory.

"How long do you think its going to take to get there?" Ben' Looked across the deck into the sea and the land beyond, then right down the side of the bridge. She scratched her chin in thought then calculated an answer.

"An hour, two at most" Katara's beautiful blue eyes went wide. "We are going pretty fast." Katara smiled happily.

"I hope they have a spa. That would be wonderful!" She sighed wistfully. Ben' gave her a one-sided grin and then looked back out at the sea.

"Yeah...Katara? What's a spa?" The young water bender looked at the chocolate eyed girl in half hearted surprise.

"You've never heard of a spa?" Ben' shook her head. "Wow. Let's just say, a spa is a place to get pampered. Ok?" Ben' nodded, but still looked bewildered. Katara just laughed at her and shook her head. "You still don't quite get it, do you?" Ben' smiled and shook her head. She had never really been able to get pampered, being a pirate and all. "You never know, Ben', we might even be able to do what ever you want." Ben' smiled slyly.

"I'm thinking a chill out session, then a spot of shopping and rum on the beach." Now that sounded like a good plan.

Sitting with her feet up on the bench and her strong hands folded behind her head, Beniko let out a sigh into the steamy room. She let out a heartily chuckle at a silly thought in her head.

"You know, sometimes I wish that I could act like a proper girl, like you. But then I think how damned dull it would be." Katara just let out a snort of a laugh form across the tiny sauna, sitting a more ladylike version of her friend's position.

"There are other advantages to being femmine." She stated plainly.

"Like what? You're expected to be girly and only need saving. You have to cook and raise the children. No hunting or sailing or fighting. I can't live without the sea! The men treat you as a servant or a lesser. And if you have Fire Nation blood and skin, like I do, you have to be all pasty and cute looking! And have you looked at me lately. More tanned that most sailors and the Fire Solders on Zuko's ship." Ben' snapped out. "Besides, a lot of the fire blood girls I've been are total pigs. End of." She wove the conversation off with her hand before returning it to behind her head. Katara raised an eyebrow at her immediate judgement of a femmine life and wondered how a girl raised as a boy came on such facts. They had been at the spa for the best part of three hors now and - even though it was wonderful - Ben' boredom was growing. She sat up in the steam and swung her legs over the edge of the seat. "kinda bored now, Katara. Can we go and find Iroh and Zuko and go shopping now?"

"We've got one more thing left though." The water bender stated. When Beniko's eyebrow raised a nudge, Katara told her what it was. "The Makeover treatment." Ben' shook her head.

"Nah, you have the makeover. I'll just ask for a trim." She pointed up to her longer hair, now its long front bangs bent under to tough her chin, where as they originally were at eye level. She then got to her feet and walked to the door. "Coming?" Katara got to her feet and joined her as they headed towards the makeup studio.

Zuko slumped down further in his seat at a little tea shop a few stops away from the spa the girls went to. Uncle Iroh was drinking tea inside and chatting up on of the older waitresses. Kind of disturbing and annoying. He let his head fall to the table with an angry grunt.

"No time for sleepin' now, Zuko." Ben' called out with a laugh, stepping beside him from in the crowd. Her hair was shorter and more stylised.

"Where's Katara." He asked whist he sat up again. Ben' turned a little then rolled her eyes.

"Hold that thought." She skimmed off back into the crowd and reappeared with Katara in tow. "Dress shop." She stated plainly with a shrug. Zuko gave a snort of understanding and turned his attention to that water peasant. Her hair was in a messy bun without its usual braid and her air loopies were loose and danced on her shoulders in angel curls. Her face had a touch of light make up on it, with hints of sparkles on it. She looked amazing. "Sorry." Ben' apologised. "We saw a tattoo parlour on the way back and I just had to get one." She pulled up her shirt a little to reveal a black falcon on muscular stomach. "For my crew." she pointed out unnecessarily. "I'll go get Iroh, and they we'll go shopping." Zuko groaned and sunk again. With a smirk at his reaction, Ben' walked inside of the quaint shop.

By the time they had finished shopping, they had passed through seven dress shops, six jewellers, three armour and weapon smiths, a tavern, a very big bric-a-brac shop and a food shop. Ben' carried a large amount of hers and Katara's items, but let the solders carry the rest. She herself had bought a water tribe club, a pair of ankle guards, an antique knuckle duster, more rum and some other unknown alcohols. Katara had bought mostly clothes and jewels and shoes. She also had a very cute china doll in water tribe clothes. It was old but, even in Beniko's eyes, beautiful. Ben' even commented that it looked just like her. Iroh, as always, had got more than necessary, and had to have most of the crew just to bring it back. Zuko didn't buy anything, having no interest in shopping. As they approached the ship, Ben' handed Katara's half of the pile to a solder and turned to the others.

"Right, we're going to the beach now for a couple of hours. Just chilling with a bottle of rum. Care to join us?" she asked with a little grin. Both men declined, and the girls left.

Under the slowly setting sun. Katara and Beniko layer back on the narrow beach a few yards from the ship with the small crate of rum as a foot rest. With a bottle of rum each, the girls chattered away on the nature of the universe and such. Beniko looked up to the colourful sky and closed her eyes with an innocent smile.

"Katara?" The pirate started without looking at her. "Do you think you'll ever marry him?" It was a sudden change of subject. "I mean if he ever asked."

"I'm not sure. Maybe. If he hasn't done anything that he'll regret." Katara replied with a shrug. Beniko's small smile widened. "What?"

"Oh, nothing. It's just I've never seen love like that. Not that I've seen much love, but I've seen plays and read books and, well, they are nothing on this. A forbidden love. Beautiful." Ben' explained in a calming voice. Suddenly, from the bushes above them, a man dove out. The girls couldn't clearly see him, but all that mattered was that he was after Katara. Beniko struck him in the gut with her new club and kicked him with a round house kick to the back of his knee's. He fell to the floor with a grunt. Ben' grabbed the mans wrists and pulled them a little too tightly behind his back, forcing his face onto the sand. Her chocolate eyes flashed up to Katara and demanded her to give her belt. Katara pulled it off and handed the strip of white cotton to Ben'. She wrapped it tightly around his wrists and used her foot as leverage as she pressed it against the small of his back beneath his hands. She tied it off and grabbed hold of it, pulling the man to his feet. "Pick up the stuff, Katara, we're going back and taking him with us. I don't think that _crowned Prince Zuko_ will be too happy that someone attacked you."

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A/N: My ask Ben' thingy is still open. Feel free to ask anything, just say who you are asking (Me or her).

Thankes for reading this chapter


	9. Filler

A/N: Because today is my sweet 16th, I decided to give all of my readers of P&P a gift. A little insight into Ben'. Enjoy!

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Filler

There is a lot you could get to know about a person, isn't there?

Beniko herself can be quite an interesting person. Here I present to you trivial facts about the ever-so slightly mad Ben':

-She was born on a full moon at midnight during the spring. She was also born upside down.

-Ben' has a birthmark the shape of a frog on her tailbone. She calls it Fredrick

-Beniko has an allergy to Mangoes.

-Beniko has only worn a dress once in her life and has only spent about a month in all on land.

-The only bone she hasn't ever broken as of yet is her ear bone.

-She, unadmittedly, has pediophobia. That means she is scared of dolls.

-She knows some basic sign language and can also write in two dialects.

-Ben's mother really was the Goddess of Night. No really.

-Her father spied for the Earth Kingdom. That's why he was killed.

-Ben's mother, on the other hand, died of sweating sickness moments after Ben' was born. Miraculously, Ben' wasn't affected by her mothers illness.

-Beniko does have powers, but they haven't shown themselves fully yet. The dreams are connected to her powers.

-The dress Ben' wore on that singular occasion that she was forced to when she was six was pink. She has never touched anything in that colour since.

-Ben' has a very odd hatred for poultry. She refuses to eat it, but will eat any other animal. That does include most insects.

-The tattoo she got when they were docked up wasn't her first. Her first was a tribal knot that covers most of the top half of her upper-right leg. It was a gift from the crew of the Black Falcon after she saved them from a rival pirate ship.

-When Ben's hair gets to a certain length, points in it go white like stars.

-She has the full training and potential to become a full sailor, there just wasn't any places open for her.

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A/N: Well I hope this makes the crazed persona of Ben' of the Black Falcon more understandable . 

If there are any points that you didn't understand of you still have more question, please ask! just don't ask for how it will end, 'cos that's kinda cheatin'.


	10. Getting Away

A/N: That last...Thing: The previous chapter thingy had **NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS FIC**. I did not write it, my older brother did. This is the REAL chapter.

That last thing had a seperate title for a reason. And to all those whom hate randomness, I am very sorry. Well atleast you got an insite in the co-working of my brother's and my minds. Please don't let...That reck the wrest of my fic for ya.cringes away

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Chapter Nine: Getting away.

Ben' strode up the narrow gangplank with the attacker dragging behind her. Irritation shone in her chocolate eyes and her face was scrunched up in anger. She flung the man to the floor at Zuko's feet so that his head slammed loudly against it. The man groaned in pain and Ben' stomped his foot down on his back with her arms crossed. Zuko looked at her with an eyebrow raised and awaited an explanation.

"He attacked us and tried to abduct Katara. I arrested him on account of that. You press the charges." After a moment of silently glaring at Zuko, a random solder crossing the deck caught the ex-pirates attention. "You!" She called over to him. He looked up at her and pointed to himself, mouthing 'Me?' at the same time. "Yes you. Take this_ thing_ down to the brig!" The man nodded and scurried up to them and got the attacker to his feet. It felt odd for him to take orders from a younger person -A girl, no less- but he felt like he had to follow it. The sheer, controlled fury in her dark eyes and smooth voice frightened him slightly. Not forgetting, she was raised by ruthless, dangerous pirates- Everyone knew that! The anonymous solder felt those fearless glaring daggers of white fire right through him into the back of her prisoners skull and scurried away faster from her relentless stares.

A few minuets after, the solder returned in a rush. He darted up to Zuko and hastily saluted.

"Sir, Tasper has escaped!" Beside the banished prince, Katara gasped and stepped towards him. In return, Zuko put a protective arm around her.

"How?" He snapped, glaring at the solder.

"He...I..I don't know" Stammered the poor man, shrinking at Zuko's anger. Across the deck from them, Ben' tencened against the side of the ship. She cursed under her breath and turned on her heels.

"Katara will stay in my room tonight." She ordered. "We'll be safer together. Besides, if he does show his ugly face, I want to be the be to squash it." to emphasise her point, she ground her fist against her open palm with an angry, disgusted look on her face.

That night, the daughter of the Night slept sitting up with her club in her hand.

A few days past and there was no sign of Tasper. No one hade even seen so much as a sign of even Katara's brother. It was as if they had vanished off of the face of the earth. But that was the least of Beniko's worries. Her mind had been plagued by recurring nightmares. Normally bad dreams had no effect on her, but these were so real...She couldn't even change the outcome of the dream! The ex-cabin 'boy' sat up on her usual spot on the wall of the ship, and crossed her arms onto her knee, resting her head on them. Her chocolate eyes flashed out to the sea, and met with a familiar site; Black Falcon! She jumped to her feet and smiled. At that moment Iroh approached her.

"You seem happy." He noted.

"It's the Falcon." she smiled at him. "It's ok. Now we can give them a proper burial." She skimmed off her overcoat and stood in her thin under top. Ben' took a few steps back, and took a running jump over the edge. She dove into the water and swam to the nearby ship where she was raised.

On the front of the ship was a low hanging rope. It had always been there, since Ben' had first learned to swim. She grabbed onto it and began to use it the scour the side of the wooden ship. A smell hit her nose the minute she was a few inches above the water. It was a sickening smell that the blue haired girl had never smelled before, but a haunting one that would burn in her mind beyond death. The higher up the young lady got, the thicker the stench was. By the time Beniko was at head level with the wall of the ship, the smell was horrible enough to make a gore lover heave. She paused to pull her salty, wet, grey shirt up to the bridge of her nose and wipe tears of sickness from her eyes. Taking hold of the banister with one hand at a time, Ben' let the rope fall back to uselessly hanging and pulled herself over the edge onto the deck. She nearly scream at the sight that met her. All of the men of her crew was stacked in a messy mound in the middle of the ship, just like in her dream, and, like in said dream, one of the top corpses slid off and landed in a heap on the deck. As it did, Ben' leaped back till her backside and legs were pressed against the side.

"No..." she hissed, the pain of loss rejuvenated in her mind. "...This...cannot be real...but it is..."she closed her eyes and took in several slow breaths. "And my men...My family need a burial in true pirate style." She spoke to no one in particular, but still spoke in a loud voice, as if to convince herself that it was real. Carefully sidestepping the pile of men, she darted below the decks to collect the sheets off of all of the deceased's' beds. These sheets were taken back up stairs and laid out side by side in a specific order. One at a time, she slowly laid each rotting carcass onto its respective bed sheet. The sides of said sheet were folded over the bodies and sewn sealed. Using odd ropes and hoops on the Black Falcon, the created a pulley system to lower one man to Davy Jones' Locker at a time. With ever man, she sung out a prayer to the Keeper of the Spirit world and Sea Spirit, La. Most of all, she pleaded that the Gods and Spirits finally let them Move On (and stop haunting her with endless nightmares). After a final nod of thought, she darted up to the wheel and suddenly turned it harshly towards the shore near Zuko's and beached it a little way up, very close to the other ship. She darted up the furthest back she could reach on the stern and called out to a near by solder. "Go get Prince Zuko!" The man gave her a nod and ran off, Zuko appeared a few minutes later. "Come on board. Take what you want but only want what you take! Oh and I'd mind most of the food, but do get the booze and the biscuits, it's die for! But leave the captain's quarters and my quarters be, I'm getting those."

The firelight danced on Beniko's and made her eyes glow with memories. Memories all to do with the kingdom-less ship inflames before her. She had been born there, grew there, her first kiss, her first love, her first fight and heartbreak; she was sure that she was to die beneath is trustworthy, loyal sails. It was her home, and she was no longer a part of it. Tears began to form unknowingly in her chocolate eyes. A cold hand landed on her shoulder. It was Katara.

"Ben'...I think you should go to bed. You look like you need a good rest." Katara advised. Ben' gave her a soft smile, and placed her hand over the water benders.

"Yeah...yeah I should..." Her attention returned to the burning ship "You know: You never know quite how much you love a place till it's gone, do you?" With that, Beniko walked away, giving just a final glance at the Black Falcon before vanishing below the deck. Now Katara was alone on the deck, in the looming presents of the high flames on the steadily dieing ship. She leaned over the railing of the bow of the ship and began to toy with a wave against the beach.

"Katara" A small whisper broke her concentration. She looked around the deck, but saw nothing. "Down here!" It hissed again. She looked onto the beach and saw a familiar face paint.

"Suki" she chirruped back. The Kyoshi warrior signalled her down, but Katara refused. "Not without Ben'" With that, the water bender darted below the decks. She skidded to a halt before Beniko's door and sneaked in. "Ben'?" she whispered. Said girl was laying on her back, looking at the ceiling. She craned her neck forward to look at Katara. "Come on. We're getting away from here." Ben' gave her a nod, and gathered her few belongings. She then tied a red flag to her shoulders and stood formally and tall with her shoulders back. Ben' gave a nod to assure Katara that she was ready, and the duo left, without a final word the Zuko or his men.

"This is wonderful!" cried out Katara when they were far enough away from the ship. "I finally get to go back to Aang and Sokka." She smiled brightly at Ben' "I think that you'd like Aang, I can't wait to introduce you to all of them!" Ben' simply shook her head.

"I'm not going with you to the Avatar." Stated the boisterous girl simply

"But why, Ben'?"

"I belong at sea. Its all I know. Besides, you don't need me there. I'm going to stay at the dock, and join up to the next crew with sails that'll have me. Hopefully they'll be in the fight against the war, and I can finally do my part. Katara, we will meet again. I promise you, we will." And with that final oath, Ben' hugged her friend, and ran on a head, leaving Katara and the Kyoshi warriors behind her.

When our young water bender was at long last reunited with Aang and Sokka, she was, true to tell, extraordinarily happy. But a small part of her mind still wondered back to her time aboard Prince Zuko's ship, her love and friendship and of the things she saw and learned, so in a small way she regretted leaving. But if she hadn't, would she have ever seen her friend and brother again? Would she ever have that opportunity to master water bending?

And what of Zuko? When he discovered that Katara had ran away, he became angry yet again. Previous feelings of love and trust were erased and replaced with hatred and a will for vengeance. And thus the quest for the avatar began again, and no water peasant was going to get in his way.

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This is not the end. There's still a hell load of fun to come yet. 

To be nice, I'll give you some spoilers:

Ben' agrees with most Zutara fans, and is not to amused with Zuko's choice in loyalties. She also has changed a little.

Tasper shall return.

A hugefight is dawning.

If you have any more idea's, please say


	11. Reunion

A/N: Sorry that this has taken me so long to update ; My muse likes to jump around damned muze Anywho's enjoy! Oh, and if you have any questions about this, I would love to hear them

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Chapter Ten: Reunion

Katara sat on the small of Appa's back with her back to the rest of the Gaang. Aang was fine now. Still unable to walk or bend properly, but the young avatar was healing fine naturally. However it was Katara that was hurt. She felt betrayed and so, so angry. Zuko had turned his back on her, even after she tried to help him! Sure, she had left him, but he said he understood! He said he didn't care! He said...He said he had changed... Katara hugged her legs tighter to her chest and bit on her lower lip to hold back tears. A tanned hand suddenly landed on her shoulder, causing her to jump a little.

"Sis? You might want to come and see this." Said Sokka from just behind her. Katara Turned around and crawled to where her brother was leading her. Over the edge of Appa she saw a fleet of blue sailed ships. And that's when she recognised them.

"Dad's fleet! That's Dads fleet!" She cried with a happy smile to Sokka. Sokka nodded at her whist Toph just tutted in the background.

"What's the big deal with that? Parents just boss you around and don't let you have any fun." Katara gave her a small, sad smile. Just because Toph Bei Fong's mother and father were like that, didn't mean all parents were. Onto of Appa's head, Aang steered the sky-bison so that he flew down towards the water. This only caused Katara's grin to widen and Toph to shout out a bit. "A bit of warning would be nice next time, Twinkle Toes!" she shouted angrily.

"Sorry Toph." He smiled in his usual fashion, though the Blind Bandit could not see it.

As the fluffy, saddle-less bison approached one of the ships, a man on the deck pointed at him and shouted;

"A-a-the Avatar Flying Bison. Make space! Clear some room for the Avatar!" On command the other men moved various "Stink 'n' sinks", ropes crates and other bits to make a wide landing spot for the creature on deck. Aang steered his trusted friend down and landed him safely. He got off of the Bison's back, without his usual graze, and held out his hand.

"Hi, I'm Aang." He smiled. The captain of that particular ship gave him a bow.

"Avatar Aang. It's an honour to get to meet you. Sokka told us of you. I saw you when you took him back, but it's an honour to meet you in person." Said the man. As he did, the other three got off of Appa's bare back. "Katara!" He smiled "Haven't you grown. And it's good to have you back, Sokka." To Toph he asked. "And who may you be?"

"Toph." She said flatly, not wishing to have much to do with him. He chose not to ignore the hint and swallowed slightly nervously. At that moment, a person in Water Tribe robes but with lighter skin struggled up the stares with a couple of hefty looking crates.

"It's good to see you again, Taioh too, after so long." Katara grinned and the captain. Upon hearing her voice, the person carrying the boxes dropped them, narrowly missing their own feet. It was Beniko! Her hair was in an elongated warrior's wolf tail and she was more muscular, even a little taller, but it was the same old Ben'.

"Kitty-Kat?" She asked, stepping around the forgotten crates. Blue eyes clashed with sweet brown.

"Ben'!" Katara cried. They ran at each other and crashed into a hug. Ben' squeezed Katara's waist tight, lifting her off the floor. "I see you've gotton stronger, Ben'" She coughed. Ben' let out an embarrassed laugh.

"Sorry." She put Katara back down, but didn't release her. Sokka took a defensive step towards his little sister and pointed an accusing finger at the one he thought was a boy.

"Hey, you boy, hands off my sister!" He ordered Beniko aggressively. She gave him a look then laughed towards his sister;

"Does he-? Did you tell him? You didn't tell him." She let go of Katara and stood beside her.

"Ok, looks what happens when Tai pulls his shirt tight, Tai pull on your shirt," He did so, showing his muscles beneath it. "Now when I do that," He more femmine figure was visible.

"You're a girl?"

"Well done, give the man a prize." Smirked the retired pirate sarcastically. "Yeah I'm a girl, who'd a guessed!"

Later in the night, Beniko sat up on deck with her longer blue hair loose. Her chocolate brown eyes absorbed her mother's stars calmly and her hands twisted together over her knees. The wounded avatar hobbled up on deck and smiled at her.

"It's a lovely evening, isn't it Miss Ben'." He commented quietly. Her head snapped around in surprise.

"Oh, um Avatar Aang. Shouldn't you be resting?" The young avatar had been resting since they had got aboard the fleet. He shook his head. "Oh. And yeah, my mother does know how to make 'um." Aang chose to ignore the last comment.

"…You helped Katara, didn't you? You saved her and stuck with her until you knew she was safe." Aang asked innocently. This made the ex-pirate smile brightly

"Yeah, a girl like her deserves it though. I didn't even need to see her to know that she was just full of spirit: Of that special shazam." On the last note, she spread her arms out in emphasis. "I'm glad I did too. Even though I've lost my entire crew, my whole family, I've still saved another, and in doing so, saved the world." She smiled in self-pride. "Never thought I'd help to save the world, being a pirate and all it was only me and my crew." Ben' then flumped back with her hands behind her head. She freed one arm and patted the space beside her. On the spot that she suggested, Aang lied down as slowly and gently as he could. For a few moments, the two watched the stars calmly. "Katara is a brilliant and intelligent girl. You're lucky to have her." Aang gave a tiny blush that he hoped was not noticed. Much against his liking, it was. Beniko's dark eyebrow rose on her head. "Aang, be truthful with me, do you have a crush on K?" As she was saying this, she sat up and leaned over him, so her har brushed his cheek and her chocolate brown eyes locked steadily with his soft grey ones. The young avatar could only gawp and cringe for a moment.

"…Yes." He eventually told her. "I think- I think I love her." A sad look combining pity and pain formed in her not usually as expressive eyes after he answered.

"Oh, um, ok." She then went back into the sitting position she was in when Aang first came up. "And I wouldn't think that she told you the whole story either." Anng shook his head. "I don't know if it is my place to tell you it, and I'm not sure if you would want to hear it either, so I'll give you time to think it over. If you want to know the whole, unaltered story, then come and see me in my cabin, if not then that's fine. However, do not ask me because you are curious; ask me because you feel it is right for you to know." With that, she got to her feet and left him there with those starting words fresh in his mind.

A knock on her door made Beniko fall from her bed. The others in the room laughed at her whist she simply glared up at them. With a growl. She stomped to the door and flung it open. There stood the avatar, Katara's brother and the Blind Bandit in a slight V formation, with Aang at the front.

"I'm guessing that they wish to know to." Ben' guessed, lowering her voice. Aang nodded. "Ok, lets go somewhere more private" The place considered 'more private' was in the stores way below the decks. It was cramped but no one tended to go down there for no reason. "I warn you now, this story will hurt you as much as it hurt us. You'll feel angry and lost, but please, bare with me. I shall leave no detail out, you shall learn everything, so are you sure you are ready for this?" She looked around at the three. In turn they nodded. And so she told them it all. She said of how she met Katara and of Zhou whipping her and murdering the crew (even of escaping and surviving on rum until they were saved by Zuko) . Every single thing that she could remember, she past on to them. It indeed did hurt and it did make them angry, especially Sokka. Said Warrior swore out death threats to Tasper, but Ben' only argued that he was 'dibbed'. Though the avatar said nothing, confusion and pain was clear in the avatar's grey eyes. Ben' locked her eyes of chocolate brown with his commandingly yet gently and sadly and spoke in her softest voice, sounding, for once in a long time, feminine and understanding. "I'm sorry, avatar Aang. I'm sorry you had to find out this way. I'm so very, very sorry." The room then began to blur as the pirates words buzzed around in Aang's head. His eyelids felt heavy, and he passed out cold.


	12. Her Memories

A/N: Oh, happy days! Another chapter:)

**Please read Authoers Notes at the bottom. Thank you.**

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Chapter 11: Her Memories.

Fire nation earth. This was the first time in Beniko's life that she had ever felt the ground of her origins beneath her own feet. However, she did not realise that the very island that the Gaang were on was not only the birthplace of her mother, but where she was due to be born herself. Phantom memories of a life that was suppose to be hers but never was danced in her imagination. Images of a young woman like herself growing up as a contented fire nation girl, living a simple calm life, wearing pretty dresses and having long, clean hair. These, as she described them, fantasies almost made Ben' laugh out loud, but her own control was enough to stop her. Ben' studied the Gaang in their new clothes from the back of the group, noting down how fuller Katara's figure seemed and Aang's dark brown hair. She herself wore simple black trousers made from a thin, light silk and a matching black wrap top that only covered her bust. The brightest thing she wore was a maroon red coat with a very wide collar and a long tail that nearly hit the floor. The inside lining was made of some kind of cotton that made her feel cool and fresh whist wearing it. Her blue hair was hidden under a black wig that was nigh-on identical to her own hair and styled in a bun. It all made her feel a little weird and ridicules.

- 'u' -

In their wondering, they had stumbled upon a little, run-down village with only a few elderly members and a tiny group of young orphans left who were all too young to join the army. There was something painful familiar to the whole clutter of homes to Ben'. Something that made no sense to her. She especially felt a pull to one particularly rundown home that seemed to have not had anyone in it for many years. Part of it was even burned down and crumbling. The others, however, seemed mostly undisturbed by this. The ex-pirated the jogged to catch up to the rest of them, never tearing her chocolate eyes from the abandoned building until in was physically impossible for her to keep looking at it. In front of her, Sokka rapped his knuckles on the wooden door of a house that seemed to be an inn. An old woman opened the door a little bit, so that her wise brown eye was just visible. She glared at the three visible to her.

"Go away. We have no space for outsiders." She snared in a cruel manor. Sokka looked a little irritated, and was about to reply when Katara interrupted him.

"Please, ma'am, we wont be any trouble and will be moving on first thing in the morning." The old woman just shot her a dirtier look and moved to shut the door. Suddenly, Beniko's powerful calloused hand shot out into the tiny gap that remained and pushed it wider so that her whole face could be visible as she lowered it into the old woman's with a slightly menacing glare.

"Ms, we did not come here to cause trouble or contaminate your town or island, we only came here to sleep, then we will be moving on. Unless, of course you want us to be a nuisance." With the last note, she gave her a sly grin and cracked her knuckles on her free hand intimidating. The old woman's eyes grew wide, but not with fear but something very different. She opened the door full and let them in, all the while muttering something about Ben's smile and hair; about how much she looked like 'her', whatever that meant.

- 'u' -

It was long into the night when Beniko crawled up to her bed in the attic room. She flumped onto her bed after removing her coat and trousers and fell asleep before her head even hit the pillow. Moments after, she felt a odd floating feeling building in the pit of her stomach. She had no sense of sleepiness or consciousness at that moment. Her eyes were still shut when the floating feeling grew over her whole form. They then fluttered open to reveal her sleeping body on the bed. A little cry of surprise escaped the lips of the 'her' that was nearing the angled ceiling. Something in the fourteen-year-old knew that her ghost-like form wore nothing, but that did not bother her. After passing through the old inn's roof, she rolled onto her back and continued to drift into the star-littered sky. All of a sudden, the sky was all around her. Her feet landed gently on the star-studded floor like someone had lowered her onto it and she stood tall in the near-darkness. She ran her hand through her now long, natural hair out of habit before grabbing a clump of and staring wide-eyed and the midnight waves that too seemed to be full of tiny white specks like room she was in.

"You certainly do have my hair, Beniko. And my skin for sure." A voice from no-where pointed out. Ben' jumped a little a spun her head around, searching for it source. A beautiful woman phased through the wall behind her and stood with a proud smile on her face. The now very confused Beniko turned to face her fully. She had the same midnight-blue hair and very lightly tanned skin that was natural to Ben' and a tall full figure. Her kind eyes were the same star-filled blue as her long hair that hung loosely down to her hips and a gentle smile graced her full pink lips. She wore a bone coloured gown that belled gradually from her hips. Wrapping from just under her healthy bust to her skirt was an elegant obi. It was lined in the same bone fabric as her dress, but a think strip in the very middle caught the eye. It was like looking into the infinite folds of space itself. The upper half of the dress was like a robe top, but the shoulders of it were off of hers, making the top open a little lower. Celestial ribbons danced from her outfit with an unfelt wind.

"Who are you? And why do you know my name?" Ben' demanded. The mystery lady only laughed.

"Beniko, it's me, your mother. The Goddess of Night" A look of confusion returned to Ben's face.

"My…Mother? But…Wha-…" Ben' was unsure of what to think. She was stunned.

"Beniko, my daughter, I think it is time that you knew your past."

- 'u' -

_(Flashback)_

_Long before I was born, a little baby girl was abandoned on the doorstep of and aged but healthy house. A lady, who as no longer young or able to bare her own children, lived there alone. After a knock sounded against the thin wood of the door, she tugged it open to see no one there in the night, a small cry for attention brought her attention down to her feet. The baby girl just lied there, wrapped in a cosy blanket that seemed to be made from the night sky itself. This small baby would eventually become my mother. Her name was Ka-Yoru._

_Ka-Yoru__ grew to be complete opposite to me: Graceful, gentle, calm and elegant, something I could never hope to be described as. She made few foes in her childhood and did little wrong. She was, to best describe her, a model daughter. Her clothes and hair was flawless every day and she never even got a single spot through her teenage years. Everyone seemed to love her. All though she did not live a luxurious life, she lived a happy and contented one. Ka-Yoru always assumed that all that she ever needed was in that very village, and all that her children would need and all their children would need. How different my life would have been if my father had been anyone but Raisan. My traitorous father._

_He stopped in the village whilst he was travelling the Fire nation, training and looking for adventure in the volcanic islands. He was, at that point, already a fully trained solder and one of the elite guards of the Fire Lord. No one foretold of who, or what, he really was. A spy, from the palace of OmaShu itself. He saw my mother working in the fields, bringing water to the working men who were clearly much older than her. Raisan fell in love with her dark, tumbling locks that glistened with specks of white like the stars at night. Her dark, friendly eyes encaptivated him from afar and her full, elegant figure looked like something that looked as if it should belong to a goddess. He knew that the first moment that he saw my mother, she was destined to be his. It was written in the stars._

_Mere days after he first laid eyes upon her beautiful form, they became close. It only took a tiny number of weeks before they started dating and, within a year, they were married. She had fallen freshly pregnant when they moved off of the island to the central city of the fire nation, very close to the palace. Within that year and a half, she knew all of his secretes. She knew he was a spy and she knew that it would not be long until they would have to move again. Move to the safety of the earth Kingdom. She was fully prepared for it. Whilst they were in the city, my mother caught something know as the Sweating Sickness, but it did not affect her until I was about to be born._

_The news was sudden and badly timed. The Fire Lord had discovered what Raison was and he as furious. He ordered both of my parents to be arrested and put to death. They were traitors and he would not stand of traitors. Raison's own sources had forewarned him of the approaching danger in the late in the night. He woke my mother, already 8 and a half months pregnant with me, and ordered her to dress and run. It was only by mere fortune that the managed to get from the palace, through the woods and to a secluded village be the waters edge nearly an hours worth of non-stop running away. However, my poor father was caught, only a few minutes from the safety of the Black Falcon. Out of generosity, the pirates immediately left after they aloud my doomed mother aboard._

_(End flashback)_

- 'u' -

With a jolt and a gasp, the pirate awoke from her dream, knocking her pillow to the floor and her quilt aside. She looked over at the window, and saw the sunlight poking through the small gaps around the curtains. It was morning. Quickly slipping on her almost shapeless, knee-high boots beneath her trousers, she slipped out of the door to wake the others. Aang and Katara were already awake and helping the old woman set up breakfast, and Toph woke up just before Ben' knocked on the door: The ex-pirates heavy footsteps had woken her up. Sokka, as Beniko had hoped was still fast asleep, and practically half-hanging off of the bed. A sly smile grew on her face; this would be just like a cheeky little duty that she so missed. Ben' crept up to Sokka as light footed as she could. When she was less the a foot away, she sprung at the bed, narrowly missing his right leg. That did nothing at all. With a frown, Ben' came up with a new plan. The sly girl knelled over his knee and lowered her half-closed hands over his stomach. _Three…Two…One!_ She slowly counted down in her head. As soon as she hit 'one', she ran her hands over his stomach like two Spider Bats. The Water tribe man let out a cry before falling fully off of the bed, backing up several feet to the wall and pointing his drawn Black Meteorite sword at the invading pirate. He lowered it down whist Ben' laughed loudly at him, giving her a look that combined confusion with irritation. Beniko eventually let off the laughing to smile at him, the laughter still clear in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Sokka. It was too good of opportunity to pass up! I can see why Toph calls you 'Snoozels' now; you sleep like a log!" She straightened out her wig, and held out her hand to him as a peace offering. "No hard feelings?" Sokka continued to glare at her a few minutes longer before getting up and grudgingly take her hand.

"Fine, no hard feelings: It was only a joke."

"Good man, Sock's" Beniko smiled. An eyebrow went up on his face. "What? If I can give Kitty-Kat and Mr. Grumpy-Guts nicknames, then I should give everyone else one too. Sock's was just the first thing that popped to mind."

- 'u' -

After breakfast, as the blue-haired cross dresser had promised, the Gaang collected their belongings and got ready to move on. Just before they left the village to back to Appa, the old woman who owned the inn stopped them. She gave them some money and food and smiled up at Ben'

"Young lady, you look so much like her that there is no chance that you could be anyone but her daughter. I thought, for a long time –We all did- that you had died with your mother, but we were wrong. You have her good heart, I can tell, my magomusume." Beniko's eyes widened until they looked as if they would just pop right out of their sockets.

"You…I…I am your magomusume, your granddaughter?" She asked in a quiet voice, her shock blatant on every inch of her. "I didn't think I had any family left…Obaasan." The name felt alien on her tongue, so in an almost mute voice, she repeated it again. Everyone else only stared at the only remaining survivor of the Black Falcon. Not only was it confusing for them to swallow the concept that Beniko had family, even though she claimed that she had none, but the words and language that appeared in the conversation was one they had never heard. With Ben' trapped in a shocked silence, they then left, waving farewell and thanks to the old lady.

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A/N: Well then, we now know Katara's mothers past. Thats good right? Well, the reason I wanted you's to read this is to say a few things.

1. I really would like you to ask any questions you have about this fic. Any questions for Ben' or anything like that. But please don't just demand the Zutara back, because that is something you'll just have to wait for.

2. I've got a tiny request for you artists out there. Could you draw Beniko for me? I'd like to see how you see her. I'd also like someone to make a preview image for me when this goes onto Deviantart. (It'll be in my FictionDragon Account, not my main one.)

3. Just as a heads up, I'm ending this fic soon. Another 2-3 main chapters at best are left. Their most likely will be an eplogue as well and their might just be some one-shot sequals, if and when my Muse produces them. (suggestions for them are welcomed)


	13. Tonight It Begins,part 1:The End of Ben?

A/N: Short one, I know.

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Chapter 12: Tonight It Begins, part 1: The End of Ben'?

This was the day that all shall end. The day of the Black Sun. Countless men and women opposing the Fire Nation stood ready outside of the upper area of the Fire Nation's imperial city. The middle and lower areas had already been defeated and captured. Ben' stood in a proud battle stance to the side of Katara, her midnight coloured hair was in a mess and blood had stained her water tribe robes. She smiled to the one she affectionately called Kitty-Kat and wiped her hand along the painted wood of her club.

"This is it, Katara, our last hope. The whole worlds last hope. And I – Just a simple, lowly cabin boy- am a part of it." She shook with excitement, blood lust and pride. "It feels amazing." Katara made no comment, only looked down at her friend as the cross dresser lowered herself to the floor. A signal flame was passed along by the fire benders that the resistance had managed to pick up. It was time. Beniko took off at a quick speed, leaving Katara in her dust.

'u'

Beniko whacked the head of an un-named guard with her club, causing him to fall down dead, before she sprung at another, getting a lucky blow in to his nose quickly; she cleverly avoided another's attack, retaliating with a vicious kick in the jaw. Sokka, meanwhile, was caught in a full-on swordfight with an older solder. The Black Meteorite blade clashed with the less interesting sword in an almost choreographed pattern of continuous crashes. He wordlessly led the man further and further back until he came in the path of an earth bending solder, sending the fire nation man hurtling backwards into unconsciousness. The teenage water bender whipped at surrounding solders, keeping them far back from the dangerous female as they could. Every time they attempted to attack, she would blast a stream of water at them from the octopus that she had created around herself. Katara suddenly switched herself from defensive to offensive, freezing various men to each other, the walls at the floor. Once she was content that they were trapped and useless, she bended the remainder of her octopus back into the two water skins at her sides, and moved on to the next foe. Poor Toph's opponents stood no chance; using the pent up tension from her being trapped in a metal _thing_ under the water, she attacked them mercilessly, bending the very weapons they used to pin them and the earth they stood on to trap them.

'u'

Katara had become lost and isolated from most of the rest of the fight. Being a healer, she hated the idea of killing under any circumstances. How unlike Beniko she was in that front. In the few glances that she saw of Ben', she was either killing someone, had just killed someone or was just about to kill a foe. A crazy desire and freighting excitement shone from the non-benders entire face and aura. It made Katara shudder. A sudden deep laugh caught Katara's attention.

"Look what we have here; a very familiar pet of ours." chuckled the sinister voice from the shadows that the night only deepened. It was Sokka's suggestion that they attacked under the dark of the night, being that a fight as big as this would take so long. The owner of the ominous yet familiar voice then emerged from the shadows. It was Tasper. He slinked towards her like the disgusting monster he was and created a flame in his dirty left hand. "Time for a little revenge for getting me locked up, _princess._" his voice hissed out in the most menacing tones a human could muster. He blasted a flame at Katara, causing her to jump closer to the nearby ridge of a cliff. One more blast like that and that would be Katara's life over. He lent back into the ready pose and took a deep breath in. Suddenly Ben' came sprinting out at full stride.

"NOOOOOOOO!" She dove at Tasper as he took the shot, causing the blast to hit the wooden timbers of the nearby building. She punched him a few times before he through her off. She landed miraculously on her feet, barley balancing on the ledge that overhung the cliff. Spinning her arms for balance, she glanced over her shoulder, and her chocolate eyes widened in fear. The evil man then let out a laugh and stepped towards her. With the lowest level of Fire Bending move, he pushed her over the edge. Beniko made no other sound than a short and almost inaudible gasp as she tumbled to her pending doom

_Ben'...No...

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_

**A/N: Oh, on! What will happen to Ben'. Is she dead? You'll find out in the next chapter, Tonight It Begins, Part 2: Hidden Identities and Heartfelt Apologies. It's so nearly finished, I'm excited. It might even be finished for christmas.**

**Previews:**

**Karmas gonna get ya, Tasper!**

**Zutara is back. Woo!**


	14. TIB,2:“With God by Our Side…”

A/N: Ok, so I was wrong, make that 4/5 more chapters. BTW (_italics) _reprisent Bwn's Demi-God speak.

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Chapter 13: Tonight It Begins, Part 2: "With God by Our Side…"

The sun was rising over the horizon as Tasper turned his back to the cliff and laughed sinisterly. He had finally beaten that annoying non-bending brat that had caused him so much trouble and ruined the mission that his real boss, Zhou, had set for him. And now she was dead, totally dead and unable to stop him getting the Water Peasant. He suddenly stopped laughing and glared evilly at the girl who was staring at the cliff-edge where her annoying comrade had fallen in shock.

"Now, silly brat, you're all mine!" He growled. Katara's eyes switched up to his quickly and became locked in place out of pure fear. A few seconds were drowned in silence, Not even the sounds of the nearby fight was heard by either of them. Suddenly, Tasper cried out in shock. In unison, they both looked down at his leg to see a white hand gripping his ankle so tight it distorted the shape of the flesh around it. Another white hand appeared on the ledge between his open legs. Tasper looked over his shoulder enough to see right down to the owner of the hands face. A feigningly familiar face in an almost spirit white shone up at him with pure hatred and anger printed all over it. The evil man cried out and jumped a few feet forward so he was out of it's grip and facing it. The white hand that was holding his ankle instantly switched to hold the ledge in a position that mirrored the other. "You!" He stammered. "How did you..?But…You…You're dead!" As he said the last two words in his stammered sentence, the arms pushed down to lift up and reveal the owner's face to Katara. It was Ben' as Katara had never seen in her life. Her normally tanned skin was a dead white and her chocolate eyes had become a solid, star filled blue that was identical to her hair. The normally boy-styled hair flowed extraordinarily long and seemed to disappear into the night sky.

-'u'-

Zuko slipped out past the hidden exit of the palace in disguise. Ever since he had joined forces with his evil sister, something had been bugging the back of his mind. Something in the form of a young water bender who had both betrayed him and been betrayed by him. The primary thing he thought when he first took his sisters side was 'Katara hurt me first. She was the one who left without so much as a goodbye.' But the more he though, the more it hurt. That look on her face when she found him in the caves. The apology. Her attempt of an explanation before the Avatar and his uncle came it. That painful, heartbroken look in her eyes she gave him as she carried her friend to safety. 'What have you done, Zuko.' But now he'd have the chance to make it up to her. He would help them get in and get to his father without getting stopped by anything. He knew that no matter how much he begged or pleaded without showing them actual proof that he just wanted to make it up to her, Katara would no believe him.

-'u'-

All of a sudden, he heard a loud cry in an all too familiar voice nearby. It was that pirate, Beniko. Thinking that the two friends would stick together, her followed the sound down towards the cliff edge. A moment of panic suddenly surged through his veins. What would make her cry out in horror like that? What if something bad had happened to Katara? Pushed on by fear and worry, he charged even faster. A short sigh escaped his lips when he saw that Katara was perfectly fine, just a little frightened. He recognised the man towering over her as Tasper and was about to step out to help her when he saw a hand reach up from over the edge and grab the rapist. He watched in amazement as an enraged figure pulled itself from over the cliff and drift like fog towards Tasper. Ben' then drew and arm clean across her chest and struck her hand across his jaw. The hated man fell back onto his rear and stared up into Ben's bottomless eyes in fear and amazement. Suddenly, she lifted a booted leg up and kicked him in the chest, winding him and causing him to fall flat on his back. The possessed-looking pirate moved as quick as the night itself to straddle the mans chest. Her ghostly-white hand wrapped itself around his neck and pushed his chin into the air. He struggled for a moment beneath her steel-like grasp. Beniko then lowered her face to be mere millimetres from his.

_(Monster!) _she growled in a thousand ghastly voices, none of which were her own. (_I shall punish you for what you have done) _She suddenly pulled her club from her back, releasing his chin whilst she did. She paused for a moment with it hovering at an angle in line with her face. (_This is for Katara) _She slammed the club down at his face, making a sickening crunch. (_And for myself) _She swung it down again. After she did, Tasper let out a cry or agony and fear. Springing from her fearful stupor, Katara snatched to club from Beniko's grasp. Her attention twitched to Katara for less than a second, but let Katara keep the club. (_And-) _She punched him full force in the face, lifting off of him a little (_This._ _Is. For. Every. Person. You. Ever. Hurt! Raaa!) _Between her words, she punched him in the face until she was punching continuously with her war-cry. Katara screamed at her to stop, but Beniko did not hear her. Beniko continued to scream and punch, not listening to the sickening crunches or noticing the final death spasms, until she was punching the solid stone underneath his face. Blood was splattered all over her face, her hair, the front of her legs all over her arms and the from of her torso. With one fist still in Tasper' head, Beniko took a few, slow breaths. Her eyes returned to normal, but everything else did not. The night sky vanished to show that the sun should have been up a few hours ago, and was already in its proper position. The moon was not far from it. Beniko suddenly but slowly got to her feet and scraped the blood from her arms the best she could, which was not very good at all. Her chocolate eyes switched over to where Zuko stood. _You can come out now. (There is no more use in hiding in the shadows.) _Her own voice was now audible in the mixture of many. Against his own will, Zuko took a step forwards. Katara gasped and got into a defensive stance. (_No, Katara. If he was here to harm you, I would have picked up on it and attacked him after I killed Tasper.) _The water bender lowered her defence to give the pirate a slightly confused and unsure look. Ben' only gave her a fully assured nod back before looking over at Zuko, to hear what he had to say.

"Ben' is right, Katara. I want to help you and the Avatar." He said with a twinge of desperation in his voice and did not notice the thinking look on Ben's face. "Please, Katara. I have a way for you to get to the Hidden Throne-room directly, without any distractions or anything to distract you. You have to believe me." His eyes flashed to Beniko for reassurance, who still continued to give him a calculating look. All of a sudden, she broke the silence with a cry of realisation.

_(Ah ha! I know what's different about you, Grumps: You've done something with you're hair, haven't you!) _She deducted with a proud nod and a smug grin. Zuko slapped his forehead into the flat of his palm whist Katara cringed back a little.

"It's taken you this long to realise?" Katara said, as more of a statement then a question, Ben' childishly stuck her tongue out at her. Katara shook her head reverted her attention to Zuko. "Fine, we will go with you, but first we have to find the others."

-'u'-

The secrete tunnels were narrower then any of the Gaang would have thought there would have been in a royal palace. Lower too. They all had to duck down and stay in single file. Zuko was at the front and Aang was at the back. It in-between, the order was Katara, Ben', Sokka and Toph. If it weren't for Zuko's ability to Fire Bend, then they would all be in the dark, only hoping that Toph would be able to lead them along safely. They all scampered along in silence; only the sound of their footsteps and the occasional cough from inhaling dust was heard. All of a sudden, they came to what seemed to be a dead-end. Zuko pressed the hand against it that didn't hold a flame, and turned to the others.

"I'm going to check outside to see I anyone is nearby, stay quiet and still until I give you the signal." He warned them in a hushed voice.

"How do we-" Sokka began loudly, only to be shushed by everyone in unison. He continued again in a soft voice. "How do we know that you aren't just going to go off to get some guards and get us arrested?" Evidently Sokka still mistrusted him. Beinko reached back and yanked him into a claustrophobic headlock.

_(Be nice, now Snoozles. Why would he bother putting in all this effort to capture us like this. Besides I'd just know if he was up to no good.) _Her eyes glistened a dangerous blue again as a hollow threat to both Sokka and Zuko. Zuko gave a nod to and then pushed at the blank looking wall, which apparently was a painting. They all eventually sat down in the darkness and the dust soon after he left, patiently awaiting his return. Five times, Sokka tried to speak, but each of those times, either Toph or Beniko slammed their hand over his mouth. They all flinched when the bright light of the inside of the palace consumed the room as the painting was opened. Zuko gave them the 'All Clear' and then flew out of the tunnel one-by-one. Everyone, bar in Toph and Ben' who both didn't care for their appearance, beat the dust from their clothes as quickly as they could.

* * *

A/N: This was fun to write. The questions thing is still open. Please review and fanart is loved as always. :) 3 


	15. A Small Setback

A/N: Sorry for the wait. I lost the memory stic with the chapter on it.

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Chapter 14: A Small Setback

They ran through the twisting, huge corridors of the huge palace that was once Zuko's childhood home. Leering paintings of previous Fire Lords and other intimidating figures of the Fire Nation glared down from the walls which they hung on, being unable to stop these enemies of their nation invading and attacking their Fire Lord. No one but Beniko seemed to notice the paintings anger, for they were all too preoccupied with their own problems, like who may get killed in this assault and other such questions. The slightly mad pirate chose not to think of such sad things, only that she swore that those dragons that decorated every pot in the palace had been watching and glaring at them the entire time they had been here. All of a sudden, they stopped before a pair of towering blood-coloured doors with huge flames shaped like the Fire Nations emblem on them. It was the throne room, and looked exactly like the ones that haunted the poor young avatar's nightmares for nights beforehand. Aang gave a slight but noticeably shudder before he drew a sharp breath, and braced himself for whatever lay beyond. The room itself was huge, in both height and length. Tall –thing-s towered above them down the length of the throne room, the walls were all bare and black. Everywhere, there was so much black and darkness and not a window gave the room any natural light. The only thing that kept the massive room from complete blackness was a wall of flames that surrounded the Fire Lord's throne and prevented whoever sat upon it from being seen properly. This single spot of light threw an evil shadow all over the room, making the invading teens feel all the more smaller. A slow clapping was heard from beside the Fire Lord, soon accompanied by a sharp sinister voice.

"Well, it looks like you did finally turn against us Zuko. Cowering away from us behind a little kid, a silly water bending brat, her useless brother, a blind runaway and what's this? A boy-wannabe?" The voice finished with a laugh at the Gaang. It was Azula, and she had evidently foreseen the attack all along. "Odd, I thought that you wanted your throne back brother." Beniko wasn't too sure as of who this evil girl was, but she knew that she wanted to tear her apart. Her currently space-like eyes flared larger.

"Zuko, your treason shall not be accepted this time. Now I realize that banishment is far too merciful a penalty for treason. This time your penalty will be _far_ steeper." Fire Lord Ozai finally spoke out, rising from the throne so that his face was visible. He looked so much like Zuko, apart from the truly evil glint in her eye like his daughter and the more matured appearance. Beniko's eyes briefly flashed between the two, noticing said resemblances. As soon as Ozai finished speaking, about thirty Dai Li jumped down from the darkness above them, and landed in a near perfect circle around them, blocking their escape and their attack on the Fire Lord and princess.

"When I left Ba Sing Se, I brought home some souvenirs." The evil princess laughed. "Dai Li agents."

-'u'-

It was all over so quickly, there were just too many Dai Li, and they took up all of the rest of the time for the eclipse. They had to run, and come back another time. Aang was not ready, and no one was strong enough to stop the Dai Li. They had lost this time, but they had a second chance. All of the kids in the invasion had been placed up on Appa's saddle, and were flying to safety, whist the adults became prisoners of war. Ben', who sat just off of Appa's saddle, on the small of his back, with her back to the rest of the kids. She partially blamed herself. Aang could have been all trained up and strong enough to face the Fire Lord if it wasn't for the fact that she held onto Katara for so long. She could have stuck her on a long boat and pointed her way to where they came got her from at any time, but she didn't. She selfishly kept hold of her, needing this female companion her own age. Beniko was furious at herself. She hugged her thighs even tighter to her chest, and buried her chin even deeper between her knees. Guilt and loss was really burning at a huge part of her hope and mind. Clean at the opposite end of Appa, the young avatar too had similar pains off loss and guilt. He should have –could have- just simply carried on to the north pole instead of worrying about Katara. He remembered a part of his instinct knowing that Katara was fine as safe-ish all along, but he had ignored that, and desperately searched for the girl he once had a crush on. He could have learned water and earth bending in that wasted time, and have just learned fire bending now, but instead he focused his energy on one girl. He was so greedy and selfish. He should have put the rest of the world first. Neither Ben' nor Aang realised that they mirrored each other in guilt. But one noticed; the mechanics son, Teo, was the only one, and he knew nether well enough to know how to comfort them. There was nothing he could do.

-'u'-

The partially hidden temple of the Western Air Nomads was big and beautiful, and built into the side of a huge cliff. Katara wondered around its partially weathered halls and stone gardens, searching for her pirate friend. It had been a few days since they had arrived, and every time that Katara had seen her, Ben' looked more and more depressed and pained. She mainly, like may others, simply saw her at meals and communal meetings. Suddenly, she bumped into Zuko.

"Katara." He greeted some what uncomfortably.

"Zuko" She had been giving him such a cold shoulder.

"Why have you been ignoring me, Katara?" Zuko asked softly. Katara scuffed, and refused eye contact.

"Zuko, I don't have time for this. I'm looking for Ben'. Have you seen her?" Zuko became more angry.

"Don't change the subject Katara! Why have you been avoiding me? I've only tried to make up for my mistakes" She let out a frustrated cry.

"Because YOU betrayed us and nearly got Aang killed. I only let you join us because both Aang and Ben' trusted you!" She then turned away. "You obviously don't know where she is so I'll keep on looking." She then began to briskly walk away

"…You betrayed me first…" The sad tone of his voice made her freeze in her tracks. "Besides, I never said that I didn't." Katara turned back to him, her apology clear in her eyes only. "She told me the other day, that she'll be gone for a while, and that looking for her would be futile. She didn't say where on when she'll be back. She said goodbye too. I'm sure she would have said it to you, but she hates goodbyes. /she told me that too; it was her apology." It was then that Zuko turned and left, leaving Katara alone and bewildered, thinking her own thoughts.

-'u'-

Days soon bled into weeks in the abandoned temple where the teenagers hid. Aang's training with Zuko was going well, and he was reluctantly catching onto Fire Bending. No one had seen the blue haired cross-dresser since Zuko, and there were no signs of her return. The young woman seemed to have completely disappeared. Katara sat on a log that had fallen near the edge of the cliff. She was deeply worried about Ben'. What if something had happened to her? What if that bump on her head caused her to blank out again in a dangerous situation? A thousand 'What If' questions of the like ran through her mind. All of a sudden, she heard someone moving in the undergrowth behind her. She turns sharply in her seat in the direction of the noise.

"Ben'?" She calls out with childish hope. Zuko emerges instead, his growing black hair half covering his gold eyes and maroon scar. "Oh," she looked away sadly. Zuko gave her a pitying look, and keeled down next to her. Wordlessly, he pulled her into a comforting hug, and stroked her silky brown hair down. Then the dam broke: Tears ran freely from her eyes and dampened his black shirt. "I-I-I.." She stammered, unable to speak properly.

"Shh, I know; you miss her, and you're worried about her. You don't want to loose her like you lost your mother." Katara nodded against his shoulder.

"How did you know that?"

"Because," He started, tipping her face up to look directly into her eyes. "It was how I felt about you." No matter how cheesy that was, Katara couldn't help but to let out a loved smile. He wiped away her tears with his thumb, and kissed her so gently on her lips that she almost missed it, if it weren't for the shots of electricity that shortly followed it. She blushed like a young girl, and returned his kiss, with a little more force. The rest of the day, the two simply sat there in each other company, needing nothing more than just that.

-'u'-

It was twilight in the western air temple. The day had been a hot one, so everyone relished in the cool that the pending night brought by having a music night outside. Everyone danced away, sometimes to no music at all but the merry songs that random members of the group sang, and everyone was together and happy. All of a sudden, in the middle of a happy dance played on a wound instrument invented by Teo and Sokka. A huge, crackling orb in a deep blue appeared near the edge of the entrance and caused everyone and everything to fall silent and look. It crackled louder and bigger until a leg in a black robe stepped out of, soon a whole person emerged from it, with another in a matching cape slumped over its shoulder. The blue orb vanished, and the slumping figure lifted its head. It was Suki.

"Suki!" Sokka cried out, running to her and taking her from the hooded, robed stranger. As he did, a slightly long, blue bang fell forwards. "Thank you, kind sir."

"Sir!" Echoed out the hooded figure in an all to familiar voice. "I thought that we had been through this, Sokka!"

"Ben'?" She threw back her hood to reveal a much healthier, happier Beniko. "Miss me?"

* * *

A/N: Wow people, we are getting so close to the end here! Only one chapter (and an eplogue) left! I have had such fun writing this.

BTW, I feel like doing a contest. I would like to see your interpretation of Beniko. Draw how you imagin Ben' to look. You can do it in any style, or on a doll maker or anything. Winner gets three free requests for the sequal to this and a drawing of Ben' with on OC of thier choice in a situation of thier choice. Good deal? ANyone can enter, for this is not a contest on your skill, just how much like how I see her you get her. Dates to be set, but most likely be untill the end of Febuary or something like that.

Does anyone actually read the Authors Notes? Or is this just another pointless contest?


	16. And So It Ends

A/N: Before you sart reading the LAST CHAPTER, I'd like to quickly say a few things.

Firstly, there will be no proper sequal to this, just a collection of oneshots. requests/suggestions taken

I would also like to ask you to read some of my other fanfictions, Ghosts of War inparticular.

And just a quick thanks to you all for takin the time to read this fanfiction

Chapter 15: And So It Ends.

Appa's heavy paw crashed down onto the slightly dust ground of a Fire Nation farming village a few days walk outside of the imperial city. The large patch of land was relatively empty, apart from the young adult, not much older then them, checking the short crop at the far end, near the first of the villages cheaply made houses. He looked up as soon as he heard them, and instantly let his dull eyes fall upon the bright orange and yellows that was The Avatar. Aang looked right back at him, and froze half-way off the Sky-Bison's back, unsure how the youth would behave. The young man then remembered his place, and ran into the village behind him, calling for the elder. The caused panic to emerge within the small group of nine teens and pre-teens. Everyone but Ben' and Zuko tried to get back onto the bison, and egg him back into flight, but Appa was tired and would not go. Ben', calm and collected as she had become in the mysterious time she had vanished, looked over at Zuko through the corner of her eye, whist they both simply stood facing the village, the runaway prince knew that a village this tiny would be able to do no harm, not even to a small group of travel-weary children. They were just waiting for the boy, with the village elder indefinitely with him, to reappear, and do whatever harm they would do. A little part of them both trusted the small, insignificant village to not want to bring such danger on themselves as to bring either the Fire Lords army over, or unleash whatever unknown danger the avatar might have. Soon, as was expected, an elderly man appeared at the edge of the field, accompanied by what seemed like the better half of the village. The young man who had first seen them was distinctively there, by the old mans side. Said elder hobbled a little closer, if only by a yard, to where the nine stood frozen and studied the avatar from a distance, as if to see if the boy was lying.

"You, boy. The one in Air Nomad colours!" He called in a slightly lordly and annoying voice. It grated like a cheese grater against Ben', who flinched ever so slightly at the sound of it. "Come closer so I can see you better! My eyes are old and weak, so you need to come closer for me to see you properly." Aang reluctantly moved off of Appa completely, but took not a single step further. "Worry not, boy, for none of us can bend or fight. All of out bending and fighting sons and daughters were taken from us, only my grandson, as useless as he is, remains. We cannot harm you or your friends. And if, as my grandson assumes, you are the Avatar, then you have far more power than we humble farmers can ever hope for." On the final note, he gave a short bow, as deep as his old bones would allow him, Aang too bowed back, much deeper than the elder.

-'u'-

The main five teens of the Avatar's small army sat around a small, low, circular table with a few papers and odd gadgets spread across it. The largest of the papers was a secrete map of all the hidden area's of the Fire Nation's imperial city. Beniko stood leaning in the doorway, just far enough away to hear the normal conversation, but far enough so they could whisper without being intruded on. Her blue, 'wolf-tailed' hair danced in the very soft breeze that cut through the night and into the room a tiny amount. Her chocolate eyes remained shut, as if she were asleep standing up. Even her normally slightly shallow breathing was deep and smooth like a sleeping person. Soon Sokka addressed the four others.

"According to these books, Sozin's comet should pass directly over the Palace in five nights time, exactly. Now we know Beniko-" Sokka blatantly refused to call her Ben', for she was a girl, thus should be treated as a girl. "Has some kind of night-power thing, so even if we fall behind schedule a little, we now have a way of controlling it a little." He waved his arms about for emphasis over her mysterious abilities. Ben' turned where she stood to face him and shot him a glare.

"Excuse me, Mr. Know-it-all, but that thing I did was a flux, I don't know what I did that night. Besides, my power is semi-self defensive and dangerous… 'sides; I have the power of night, not time." The pirate snapped, cracking the knuckles on one hand. Sokka held his hands up in a wordless apology. "Sayin' you'll just use my powers, of which you have no, knowledge is like say Toph here is useless and defences 'cos she's blind; Stupid and completely dangerous." She scoffed quietly. The Blind Bandit nodded her approval, with her dainty yet powerful arms crossed.

"Tsk. So true." Toph Bei Fong nodded proudly.

-'u'-

"Gah! I am so bored!" Ben' cried, falling back onto the cheap, Fire Nation futon the village had given them that she had chosen to sit on. It was late in the evening, and everyone was settling down to rest after a heavy day of travelling on foot. Suki looked up from her seat beside Sokka in curiosity at the pirate.

"Then why don't you go for a walk, Ben'?" The female warrior suggested, tipping her head of short-ish brown hair to the side. Ben' looked up into her blue-grey eyes, still in the exact pose she flumped back in, and smiled.

"Yeah, that's a good idea." She jumped to her feet, grabbing the bottle of rum she had 'mysteriously' acquired and held it high above her head. "Off I go, 'sploring the bigger world!" She began to bounce away, tipping her head from side to side as she did.

"Not too far Ben'!" Ordered the slightly bossy voice of Katara, that had virtually become the conscience not having a mother had failed to develop. Katara shook her head as Beniko shot her a 'thumbs up' with her empty hand. She then slumped back against Zuko. "I swear, that kid would become the death of me if it wasn't for the fact that's she's saved me so many times." Zuko gave a short laugh, before burring his nose into her hair. Beniko was quite happy wondering off on her own, taking the occasional swig of rum. The land's were quite empty, and slightly meadow-like, but it was still an interesting adventure for her. Long ago she had abandoned the beaten path that was an equivalent of the road, and was quite happy avoiding long-eared rabbit wholes and natural dirt traps. She still wore the blue training robes that she had grown to love, but the upper layer was abandoned at camp, leaving her in the long Gi trousers and a moon coloured vest. In the distance ahead of her, she saw the dancing lights of a small settlement, smells of hearty foods cooking over an open fire decorated the darkening sky for miles around and the liveliness of a music night seemed to scare all night animals away from it. Ben', however, was no night animal. In curiosity she crept towards it, sneaking quietly over the entire three miles straight that separated it from her. Everywhere, there were some kind of tribal symbols of what appeared to be three moon in a row; a new moon, a full moon and the moon in its final stage. Around the three moons were tiny six points stars that she could only see fully on the symbol on the tent she was hiding behind. In the middle of the full moon was a five point star with a chocolate coloured lining. An older looking person, who could have been no older that forty, stepped towards the fire, out of the crowds. He held his hand to the stars as another lowered a crown sporting the symbol onto his head.

"Oh, great Goddess of Night, guardian of the moon and keeper of the stars: Grant us your wisdom!" He called. The crowd cheered as a statue that resembled the spirit that visited her dreams was pushed out to the other side of the fire. "Grant us a miracle and show us your greatness!" Ben' didn't realise that she was leaning very far forwards, trying to get a better view of what was going on. Suddenly she stumbled, pulling down the tent with her with a very loud crash. Everyone froze and looked down at the tent that his her.

"A miracle?" A voice in the crowed asked. Ben' felt the heavy footsteps of the priest stomp towards her, and a hand dig into the tough fabric, nearly pinching her arm with it. The tent was torn away, leaving Ben' laying exposed and laying on her back.

"It's her…You…You're the Goddess of Night…" The man said with strong shock in his powerful voice. Ben' shook her head. "No?"

"No…I am not the Goddess of Night…She's my mom."

"Then you are the girl our prophets spoke of. You are the Star Child. He pointed to a painting that Ben had not noticed. A girl a lot older than herself stood in it, with gentle chocolate eyes and long, star filled midnight hair. She seemed so gentle and beautiful…So unlike Beniko preserved herself. "You have great power within you, bestowed by Night itself!" He then bowed, as did the entire group.

"…Well _this _is interesting all right." Ben' told herself quietly. "Very…Interesting indeed."

-'u'-

Ben' finally got back to camp just after midnight. She collapsed onto her futon with only a little grunt of discomfort before lapsing into silence like the rest of the world. A sharp a sudden thumping of several armoured feet broke the silence and disturbed Ben's thoughts. She snapped her head up in the direction of the noise, but saw nothing. But someone was defiantly out there. She crawled over to the nearest visible person to her, who was Toph, and shook her awake.

"What is it, Ben'? You wake me up stomping right up, and now you wont let -" she halted mid sentence when she too heard the footsteps. "Solders."

"How many?"

"Lots. About seven heavy armoured foot-solders, a few on rhino back and about fifty odd more who have soft shoes. Those Rhino's have something. They're dragging something big and they're dragging it right this way. And they're only a few moments away too."

"I'll wake the others, and you give us some more light. No, no _you_ wake the others and _I'll _get us more light." She corrected herself with a nod. Whist Toph crudely used Earth Bending to wake everyone up, Ben' pretended to grab two rocks from random places. She stuck her imaginary rocks together over no wood and a bright spark bloomed into life before sizzling away its brief existence. She scowled, and tried again, this time more successfully. A small star, no bigger than a duck's egg, lit up the camp enough so everyone, minus Toph, could see without attracting too much attention. She nodded at her handiwork, before turning to check on everyone behind her. They all were awake –all be it barely- and huddling near a still sleeping Appa. "We have to fight." Ben' told Toph a little quietly. "But I don't think everyone has the energy to do so." Toph nodded in agreement, turning in the direction that the small army was approaching. Ben' then repeated to the other what they would be facing, in the style of an army general. "But, please, don't fight if you really can. If you don't have the energy, then do not strain yourself." Her eyes fell into Aang's, knowing that he would use his energy the quickest. "We can't risk loosing anyone now."

-'u'-

The fight was short, though not many people fought. It was Ben', in all of her mysteriousness, that seemed to win the fight in the end. She demonstrated a dangerous level of controlled power, with a perfectly professional and blank face all the while.

"What was that?!" Sokka cried out in disbelief. "All that creepy 'Wooshy' stuff! The stars for Yue's sake! What the hell was all that?!" Ben' flinched away from his contempt.

"That was..."She paused, unsure of how to explain herself. "Well, you know when I disappeared? Well, where I went was the Spirit World. I went to be trained, because I remembered what I was like, what happened that night we invaded the palace. I didn't want to loose control..." She was confusing herself, so she shook her head. "A great sensei taught me to control my powers, the powers I inherited from my Mom. Now there's little risk that I could make another mistake; now I have control and understanding of my powers." Sokka still didn't quite trust her, so he flashed his eyes over to Katara, who nodded in support of Ben'. "Trust me Sokka: There is nothing I wouldn't do to help Katara. So if my newly enhanced powers were a risk to her, well I wouldn't be here right now, would I?"

-'u'-

It was odd being back at the palace for Zuko. Especially considering this time they were storming the gates themselves. Storming his own childhood home. The comet was not long away, and he could sence it. There was a clear path through the battle field for the Gaang to pass through. Fighting went on everywhere around them, for the adults they had been forced to abandon last time had been broken out. Suddenly an old man jumped in their path. His hair was long, grey and untamed and his tough body was cover in peasant robes. Zuko's narrow eyes widened.

"Uncle?" He asked, unsurely. Iroh smiled at him, and held his arms wide. Zuko took a step towards him, but then Beniko stepped out from the group, shoving Zuko back by his face. She pushed her face out to line up with Iroh's and gave a little shocked gasp.

"Iroh! What happened to you? Dear Gods!" She slapped her hand to her forehead in over emphasis. In the little moment of shock, no one noticed a man break away from the fight. He snuck up on them, and lifted his sword up in line with Sokka's head. Ben' noticed the glint of the bade in the light. She let out a distracting cry and dove at Sokka, knocking him to the ground, just in time for the man to swing down at where his head once was. Thinking quickly, the man continued his blade on downwards. It stabbed right into her calf, digging into the bone. The ex-cabin boy let out a cry, grabbed onto the attackers knee, and pulled him to the ground. Ignoring the pain and blood, she scrambled off of Sokka and onto the fire nation man. With Beniko then pinning him down, Sokka jumped to his feet and drew his sword. The black meteorite blade was plunged into the attacker heart, and then he lay dead. He helped Ben' to her feet and thanked her reluctantly. "It's ok, Sokka. Come on, we better get going." She started to limp ahead, the blood already staining her footsteps red.

-'u'-

In an almost 'V' formation, with the narrowest point in front, the four original members of the Gaang, plus Ben' and Zuko, stood before the huge, menacing doors of the throne room yet again. A brief memory of his nightmares flashed across his mind. With a slight shudder, he flinched away. Katara placed her hand slowly on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, Aang. We're all right behind you." She reminded him supportively. Aang looked over his shoulder at his friends and smiled, in return Ben' gave him a supportive smile and 'thumbs up'. The avatar then turned back to the door and placed his hands on the hard wood. Taking in a slow breath, his nerves calmed right down. With a blast of air, his forced the heavy doors clean open, causing the fire to dance at the end of the hall. The room appeared empty. Sticking pretty much in formation, the small band of teens shuffled forwards.

"Welcome, Avatar." Said a voice, hidden by the flames. It was The Fire Lord. He rose to his feet, and strode past the daunting flames, bending them gracefully out of his way. Aang took a few more steps towards him. "Let me guess; you have come to defeat me, and hand the throne over to my son. So either I accept defeat and surrender, or I shall die." He laughed at everyone's shocked faces. "Well I shall never surrender all the work my family has done for our nation the past three generations. I will not simply let all our work go to waist!" He shot a flame out at Aang, who defected with clever Air Bending. As a counter-attack, the young avatar caused a wave of stone to thunder at the fire lord. He simply jumped over it. That is when everyone jumped into action. Katara shot spikes of ice at Ozai from her water skins, whist Zuko let loose a wave of fire, and Toph sent forth a huge bolder. He simply defected them all with a wave of flames of his own, and an elegant jump. Whist he was preoccupied with benders, the two non-bender snuck past his frontal defence. Ben charged at him, club in hand, whist Sokka did the same with his sword. But a flurry of arrows knocked them back.

"Yu Yan Archers!" Ben cried, hiding her face with her steel armguard. Her and Sokka then chose to attack them in place of the Fire Lord. Meanwhile, one of the Dai Li had appeared, distracting Toph from her attack on Ozai. Zuko had been hit by a powerful strike that he had not been able to block, thus he and Katara were removed from the fight. She had to stop to heal him. It was only the Fire Lord and Aang left. A snake of fire, blocked by one of water. An unstoppable wave of flames stopped by a wall of earth. A gust of air easily broken by a shot of fire. The fight was even. All of a sudden the two stopped. Ozai's hand sparking with lightning, Aang's defended by a combination of all four elements. Without a noise, the two adversaries jumped forwards. Aang cried out as the lightning his his back, but Ozai made no noise as he fell down dead, not even realising that he had been hit.

-'u'-

Fear and violence rained outside the palace. People panicked and screamed everywhere, and dead and wounded people of both side lay abandoned in the streets. All of a sudden, a lone figure hobbled out of the huge palace door with something glistening and gold in their blood-covered hands. The site of her made the world lapse into silence. It was Ben'. She looked out into the frozen crowds, and held the object up to the heaven. It was the small gold flame that was the Fire Lords crown.

"Drop your swords and weapons! Stop Bending! Stop fighting! It's over…this war…This war is over! We have won! This is the crown of Fire Lord Ozai! Defeated by the hand of Avatar Aang! He is dead…We win.." she cried, her eyes darting daring, and commandingly threw the large crowed. "Tell the world to stop! There's no more reason to fight…" Her arms dropped first, the golden crown clattering to a stop at the feet of Hakoda. Ben' collapsed where she stood. Fatigue, pain and sheer shock had snatched her into unconsciousness in the end. When the medics got over to her, they rolled her onto her back, to check over her, they noticed a small smile of relief on her face.


	17. Epilogue

Epilogue.

Beniko sat sadly on the window-sill of the highest window in the palace. Over the top of the volcano' ridge, she could see the vastness that was the open sea. She missed it. Sure these past five years with Katara had been brilliant, and little Ben was such fun to play with, even though he was only three, but the sea was where she belonged. All she had ever truly known was the water, so being stuck on land, even if it was living in Fire Lord Zuko's own palace, was hard on her. She rested her head back against the wall to see if she could see further, but it did no good. A rap on the door broke her silence.

"Come in." she called with out looking at the door.

"Beni-Ben' Mommy said you'd be up here." Ben said, his short arm barely reaching the door handle. "Why do you keep on stayin' up here?" The blue eyed black haired child had been named 'Ben' for her.

"I like to see the sea little Ben." She smiled sadly. She climbed off of the window-sill and placed the three year old on her wider hip. She walked back over to the window and pulled it shut, not wanting Ben to get cold. For a few moments, she looked at her reflection, and realised how much she now looked like her mother. Her hair she now wore down in a neutral style. Her clothes were still males, but no longer hid her femininity. "So, why'd you come up here, kid? Your Nursemaid'll go ape if she knew that you climbed those stares by yourself." As she spoke, she sat him on her bed.

"'Cos I wanted to see you Beni-Ben'. 'Sides, Mommy said she has a surprise for you." Beniko jumped up in mock over-excitement.

"A surprise? For me?" She cried placing her hands over her mouth, she suddenly placed her hands on her hips and lowered her face down to his with a fake smirk. "Tell me what it is." Ben giggled.

"No!" He knew exactly what to say, and what she was going to say next.

"Be ye refusing a pirates orders? Do ye know what ye'll get for disobeying a pirate? Ye'll be made to be tiggled by the fastest tigglin' fingers in the world!" All this he had said along with her.

"Yes!" He cried out loudly and excitedly.

"Ah, so ye be challenging me now. Avast ye, little pirate!" And then she practically dove at him, tiggling him until he cried with laughter.

Katara turned a little in her seat in the dining hall when she heard the voices of her young son and pirate friend singing an old pirate song with loud almost drunken pride. Beniko kicked through the door, just finishing off their last verse in a ridiculously loud voice, with her son riding on her shoulders, gripping tightly her hair and singing with the same muck-drunkenness tone. When they where finished, she stood there, wavering lightly with a goofy grin on her face. Zuko rose an eyebrow at the two. After a moment, Ben' swung the younger, male version of herself off her solders hand stood him on the floor before her. He immediately ran to his father, and laughed. Ben' herself crashed down onto the seat before her and asked what lunch was. Soon after the food was served, a man creped into the room.

"Miss? I wish to speak with the Gods." He pleaded meekly, Ben' rose an eyebrow at him.

"I am only the envoy to the Goddess of the night, you know… But I'm sure she could pass it on to whomever it is you wish to speak with." Beniko replied. He nodded and smiled in an almost apologetic manner. Her eyes suddenly drifted closed and the room grew darker. Ben's hair began to blow as if moved by a godly wind and her skin began to glow white. She suddenly snapped her eyes open and they were the pools of sheer night that Katara had first seen so long ago. _(What is it that you wish for my mother to say) _Her voice was that of a thousand souls lost to the night.

"I wish to ask for them to heal my wife and unborn child. They are ill and none of the healers can help her." Beniko's mouth suddenly made movement without producing any words.

_(They will try, but they will not save both; you must choose one or the other.)_ The man merely gawped for a moment.

"But-but how can I choose that? Why are the Gods so cruel?"

_(Do not question the will of the Gods!) _Beniko snapped. The man cowered right back for a moment as Ben' rose to tower over him intimidating. Just behind her, she heard Ben whimper. Her head snapped around to face him and Zuko, and the Fire Lord swore that within the menacing pools of night, he could see her own, normal eyes looking sorry. She closed her eyes for a moment, still looking at the small boy, before releasing a sigh. _(I shall give you a week for you and your wife to decide. If you spare your wife, the baby will be absorbed as if it never was, but if you spare your wife, I shall give her enough time to say her goodbyes and give birth... But on the very moment the baby is fully out of her, she shall die.) _The man nodded quickly and left praying thanks to her and her mother as he disappeared. Beniko returned to normal and slammed her head on a blank spot on the table. She muttered something about hate and scariness into the hard wood before mouthing a chain of cusses.

The next day too was no spectacularly special day for most people, just the fourth anniversary of Beniko moving in to the palace. Beforehand, she had wondered the Fire Nation, exploring between her Grandmothers village and the hidden temple of her mother worshipers primarily. After she fell sick on her way through the city, Katara decided for her that the Ex-cabin boy should just give up with her endless yo-yoing and take it easy in the palace grounds, if just for a short while. Said 'Short while' lasted four whole years, so Katara decided that it was long over time for the sea-born tomboy should return to where she belonged. Katara sat with Ben' in the royal carrage, heading down to docks where a surprise for her friend awaited. Beniko giggled childishly.

"Please tell me. Tell me. Please, please please pleeeeease." Beniko begged from behind the blind she was wearing, sounding more like Little Ben then she should. Katara rolled her eyes and shook her head. Ben' had been asking that same question and plea since breakfast, and it almost drove her husband to attacking the irritating pirate. If it hadn't been for the fact that Katara managed to hurry Ben' out of his earshot before she could demand again, a nasty little accident could have happened.

Beniko soon heard the most comforting, pleasant sound that had passed her ears in too long; it was the sound of waves lapping at sand wood and more water. Had she been born a long-eared animal, her ears would but perked right up.

"The sea!" She smiled. "Ah, the glories of the open ocean, with it's glorious constant movement and ever-lovably unpredictability." A bright smile cracked across her face. "Did you get me a sea-side home?" Her surprise was not a place _by _the sea exactly. Ben' giggled like a fangirl meeting the person she admired. It was all too much. Katara led Ben' out of the carriage when it pulled to a stop on a wooden dock. The smell of the sea tiggled both of their noses.

"Welcome home, Captain Ben'." Katara smiled, pulling off the blind. Beniko's brown eye's shot open wide they rimmed with tears landing on the most beautiful ship she had ever seen. It was made primarily out of a deep, red tinted wood that gleamed lightly in the sunlight from its polish. Three huge masts towered towards the heaven, holding two or three snow coloured sails each, all rolled onto the wooden supports that kept them up. A flag danced in the breeze at the very top of the mizzen, hosting a clever combination of all four nations and her mother's worshippers' emblem. The stunned pirate walked slowly up to the ship and brushed her blunt fingertips against the smooth wood of the ship, testing if it was real, and then again for assurance. The pirate the pressed her full hand against it, putting some of her weight against it, making sure, for absolute certain, that it would not vanish.

"Yes, captain, it is defiantly real, else I'd be pretty damned wet by now." Joked a familiar voice from up on deck. She looked directly up to meet with a pair of eyes the colour of Cherry wood, they even had specks of moss green in them. The messy, spiky brown hair of her childhood crush and companion pointed down at her. The tiniest blush appeared on her cheeks.

"Damien?" She called, one blue eyebrow crawling up her face.

"Yup!" He laughed, "'Tis me all right!" Ben' backed away from the side, and the ran up to the gang plank. The boy did so as well. They met at the bottom of the wooden board that let people on board, and crashed into a violently powerful hug. "Gah! Ben', my girl! You've changed; You've grown up so much, but you're still the same old Ben' that made those village kids older than us run crying." Beniko gave out a faux growl, causing Damien to laugh again.

"You too, Fluffers. You too." She felt so happy as she let her head fall against his chest. "Come on, you dog. We have a whole world to explore and pillage, and not nearly enough time." She snaked out of his hug, and dragged him away onto the ship.

Katara stood on the end of the dock, waving at the grand ship as it left. Her husband was on one side and her young son on the other. Captain Ben' stood as far back on the stern of the ship as she could, waving like a madman and crying out her fair-wells. As she got further out of earshot, she climbed up on the rail-guard and leaned out dangerously over the water, calling out the last of her goodbyes. She nearly fell in when Damien pulled her away with a mini panic-attack. As Ben' slowly shrank from view, Katara shook her head. That poor crew, they were going to have quite a hard time keeping up with Beniko's antics. Her heart especially went out to Damien, whom naturally would be the one to have to stop the nutter from getting herself killed!

And so this story of pain and madness, of horror and love, of trust and friendship comes to an end, with the end of one long adventure, and the beginning of another…

**The End**

(sob! :C )


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